Until Forever Ends
by indigoibex
Summary: Emma Swan is the only lost girl living in Neverland. Killian Jones is a heartbroken pirate on a quest for revenge. By all rights, their paths should never have crossed. But when they do, two lost and lonely souls inadvertently turn each other's worlds upside down. Captain Swan. Canon Divergence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is my very first multi-chapter, and I'm really excited to finally be sharing it after weeks of brainstorming and writing. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

It seemed fate had wanted to play a cruel trick on him.

Killian had spent decades, centuries even, on the cursed island that was now starting to appear in the distance. And for what? It had brought him nothing but sleepless nights, wasted years and fuel to the fire that fed his ever-growing lust for revenge. It most certainly hadn't resulted in him finding what he was actually looking for; a way to kill the Dark One.

Images of the vile creature crushing the heart of the woman Killian loved flashed before his eyes, as they so often did. He gripped the helm tight enough to turn the knuckles of his lone-hand white. They said time healed all wounds. Well, he'd had an abundance of time, enough for several lifetimes, and yet the pain of a broken heart never seemed to fade. If it hadn't dulled after this long, he was quite certain it never would.

The Crocodile would pay for all the pain he's caused.

''Captain?'' The voice of his first mate broke his silent musings, and he sighed before turning slightly to face him. He could already tell the man was going to test his patience.

''Aye, Mr. Smee? What is it?''

''I just wanted to know, do you really think we won't need the element of surprise on our side?'' The man seemed nervous, something quite ordinary in and of itself, but this time there might actually be legitimate reasoning behind it. However, Killian already knew what was coming and he didn't like to be reminded of it. ''Pan likely won't be happy that we haven't brought him anything this time.''

''Are you questioning your captain's judgement?'' There was a dangerous edge to his voice, one his crew members knew all too well. Once it was audible, it took very little for him to lose his temper.

Then again, Smee had never been the brightest of the bunch.

* * *

''No, of course not. I'm just saying, you can't exact revenge on anyone from beyond the grave.''

''Need I remind you, I'm the captain,'' Killian growled, stance threatening and voice raising with every word. ''I give the orders!'' He moved away from the man with the bright red hat to sternly address the rest of his crew. ''And anyone who disobeys can walk the plank and pray the mermaids take pity on his sou-''

Suddenly, a loud bang erupted from the side of the ship, causing it to creak noisily and sway precariously on the waves that had been calm mere moments ago.

Speak of the devil.

Every single person on the Jolly Roger knew exactly what this meant. Killian clenched his jaw while steadying himself on the railing. This was far from the first time they had encountered mermaids in these waters, but even with plenty of experience, this was every sailor's nightmare. He himself would happily take sharks or krakens over these creatures any day.

He heard a screeching sound and immediately knew what kind of fight they were in for. They didn't even bother using their voices to lure them to their doom today, the bloody cretins.

''Prepare for attack!'' It shouldn't have been necessary for him to state the obvious, but a few of his men had remained frozen solid, and he needed every single one of them ready for battle in order for them to survive this.

It didn't take long until the ship was completely surrounded, trapped by creatures even more dangerous than the treacherous waters they now found themselves attack started with the mermaids swimming around the ship at high speed, creating a whirlpool that made the vessel start to spin. Flashes of lightning shortly followed by the low rumble of thunder temporarily lit up the dark blue sky every so often. Panic was spreading among the sailors as each of them either tried to secure the sails or themselves.

Killian had made his way back to the helm and centered all of his strength on keeping it steady, turning it several notches to port to counteract the waves opposing them. He cursed under his breath when he felt the next phase of the battle begin. The mermaids' tails thumped loudly against the sides of the ship, causing it to creak and groan in protest.

''Ready the cannons!'' He had to loudly bark out the order to make himself heard above the noises of screeching mermaids, yelling men and roaring thunder. Fortunately he was able to do so, and several members of the crew quickly moved to prepare the cannons to be fired. There was little organization in the way they did it, but they managed to hit their targets several times and that was what ultimately counted. However, the offended growls of those not yet injured grew louder with every blast of a cannon.

The pelting rain made it difficult for him to shake off the wet hair obscuring his vision without his appendages abandoning the helm. He furrowed his brow, entirely focused on his task. He would not be capsized by fish.

From the corner of his eye he suddenly noticed a rope haphazardly hanging over the side of the railing. Mere seconds later, a hand appeared, gripping it like a lifeline while the black-haired mermaid who it belonged to hoisted herself up. Killian was the only one who had seen the infiltration, as the rest of the crew was still preoccupied on the lower deck.

''Bloody hell.'' With a snarl and a split second of hesitation, he left his spot at the helm. His hook came into contact with her face with a dull thud, and she immediately went limp and fell back into the water, the following splash sounding like it would have been painful had she not been unconscious.

Although that threat was dealt with swiftly and efficiently, it had opened up an opportunity for the attackers. They had all moved to starboard and were now collectively slamming their tails against the side of the ship. Killian, having nothing to hold onto and already being dangerously close to the railing, stumbled and was unable to regain his balance in time for the next strike.

He landed on his back in the water, the air knocked out of his lungs upon impact. Refusing to spend a moment longer here, his arms and legs moved frantically, enabling him to swim up to the surface in a matter of seconds. He gasped for much needed oxygen before he decided to swim to the rope that was still dangling off the side of his vessel.

However, he didn't get far. Suddenly, he felt a hand yank at his boot, pulling him under before he even had the chance to take another breath. Fury reared its ugly head as he met his foe underwater. The mermaid grinned wickedly while she tugged at his leg with both hands, seemingly confident she could drag him to the depths of the sea all on her own. He wouldn't let her indulge that illusion for long.

The water slowed down his movements, but he could still fight her off in other ways. With the heel of his other boot, he dug into her hand, aiming for the bones. To his satisfaction, he heard a crack and a pained hiss while she pulled her hands back in agony. He would grin, but he was in desperate need of air and a long way from the surface.

In addition to that, his victory was short-lived, as the mermaid swam up to his face and viciously dug her sharp nails into his neck in a fit of rage.

He could feel her drawing blood and his lungs felt like they were about to burst, but he refused to be a pirate captain who was bested by water. This wasn't over yet. The mermaid clearly hadn't expected him to be able to fight back here, but she had been gravely mistaken. Unlike before, she was within his reach now, and before she knew it, his hook was buried in her chest.

Her eyes went cold in an instant, barely enough time for a last shriek. Her arms went limp, her muscles stopped functioning. Watching her lifeless form drift away from him managed to slightly dull the pain in his throbbing neck.

But she might not be the only one who would find her watery grave here.

Killian was struggling to form coherent thoughts. His mouth was still closed, the instinct to not let any water in, to survive, still too strong to battle against. This couldn't be the end. He was so close to the shore. He hadn't exacted revenge on the man who murdered the woman he loved. His life's purpose wasn't met.

This couldn't be the end. And yet, it seemed like it was. When the reflex to inhale became too strong to hold off, his head no longer felt like it was about to explode; It felt empty, instead. Powerless against the darkness that was slowly overcoming him until there was nothing left but the fading sound of his heart beating against his rib cage.

/

Emma really shouldn't be here. She knew that. But this might be a once in a lifetime experience, and she wasn't about to miss it.

She'd heard the noises of the mermaids, a foreign sound to her, which was quite extraordinary seeing as she believed she knew everything about Neverland. However, the fact that she didn't know what had caused the unpleasant high-pitched screeching spiked her curiosity and her determination to get to the bottom of it. She wanted to know everything about this sound, and once a seed like that was planted in her mind, there was nothing anyone could do to get it out. After all, if Emma Swan was anything, it was stubborn.

So she headed out of her secluded tree house, with a dagger as her only protection. She could handle herself fine with this weapon, and besides, a sword would just slow her down while making her way through the jungle. It was something she was quite skilled at after all these years, and thus it had only taken her a few minutes to reach the edge of the woods near a bay.

She hid herself behind a large tree, its trunk aiding her cover. When she peeked out the side, her green eyes searched for the source of the still ongoing noise.

What she saw was a ship. A relatively large ship surrounded by mermaids. Their scaly tails reflected the moonlight, which made them visible even from a fair distance away. Half a mile, maybe.

There were many things odd about this sight. For one thing, ships didn't come anywhere near the island. Ever. She could only remember seeing a couple of them around here during her entire life, and they never even came close to the shore.

On top of that, mermaids always sang, which sounded nothing like the hideous sounds they were emitting now. She was guessing it was a sign of aggression. The creatures weren't the friendliest of sorts, and it certainly did look like they had it in for this ship and its occupants. Along with the screeches of the mermaids, she could hear the cries of the men as they fought desperately for their lives. Some of them were firing cannons at their opponents, others had drawn their swords to push back any mermaids that made it aboard.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for them. Then again, there was nothing she could do to aid them in their battle. Her and her dagger against, what, a dozen mermaids? Yeah, not happening.

She was considering going back to her place, away from the tragedy unfolding before her eyes. But that was the moment she spotted it.

At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a black leather jacket. But then she realized it was blanketing a human body; the dark hair and leather-clad legs gave it away. Whoever it was, they were unconscious and lying face down in the shallow waters of the bay. If they hadn't already drowned, they undoubtedly would soon. Unless she did something about it.

Emma bit down on her lower lip, a deep frown forming on her forehead. She really, really wasn't supposed to help this person. Pan had warned her countless times about people from outside of Neverland. Granted, she'd never met anyone like that, but she was inclined to believe him.

Still, she didn't have it in her to just stand by while someone was dying. So she took a deep breath, stuffed her dagger into her boot and emerged from her hiding spot, all while scolding herself for her foolishness. She ran across the beach and into the bay, a weary eye still on the ship in the distance. The cold water bit into her skin, right through her clothes. She shuddered, but didn't slow down. Once the ground was too far away to stand on, she started swimming towards the body.

It was a man, and he was heavy, completely covered in soaking wet leather. (Leather? It wouldn't have been her first choice of fabric, had she been a sailor). First and foremost, she knew she had to get his head above the water, which turned out to be the easiest part. Next, she slung her arm across his torso and started to pull, grunting at his weight but consoling and encouraging herself with the fact that the shore wasn't much further. Goosebumps erupted across her arm and shivers ran down her spine, but she tried to ignore the cold as best she could.

Finally, she dragged him onto the sand, panting heavily. Damn, good deeds took a lot of effort. Especially considering this one was far from over. She had put her hands on her knees, bending over slightly while she caught her breath, when she realized the man on the ground couldn't exactly do the same. She dropped down next him, unsure of how to handle the situation. She had never saved anyone from drowning before and she had no clue what the next phase should be. Get him to breathe, probably. But to accomplish that, she had to get the water out of his system.

Great. Marvelous. How was she supposed to do that? She half considered asking Tink, but she could be on the other side of the island and Emma was positive the stranger did not have enough time left for a search like that. So she tried to reason logically to find a way to rid him of the water in his lungs, while at the same time trying her best not to panic. Ultimately, she put her hands on his chest, repeatedly pushing down with as much strength as she could muster up after her impromptu rescue mission.

She checked for breath. Still nothing.

Okay, she was done being calm. She wasn't about to let him die on her watch, but she was running out of options. She steadied her trembling hands by grabbing onto the lapels of the man's vest.

Her eyes trailed over his pale face, and she realized that this was the first person she'd met, besides Tink, who appeared to be around her age. He somehow looked troubled and at peace at the same time, and she wondered which side would prevail once she could wake him.

 _If_ she could wake him.

''Come on, breathe!'' She shook his body frantically, which most likely wasn't helping in any way, but she was desperate. She had become attached to this cause, and she found that she couldn't bear watching this man die. She wouldn't be able to live with the knowledge that she was partially responsible for his death. ''Please.''

At the exact same moment the pleading whisper left her lips, she felt something change within her. A shift of energy deep inside of her, rumbling through her bones. A tingling sensation just beneath her fingertips. A force of nature begging to be let out of its cage.

Emma's breath hitched in her throat, her mind working overtime trying to figure out what was happening to her. She was speechless, utterly fascinated by the unfamiliar and strangely frightening, yet somehow calming feeling.

When she shifted her attention back to the stranger for just a split second, as if looking for guidance, lights started to flicker underneath her hands. The glow turned brighter with every passing moment, and somehow she knew she had to keep her hands right there, fixed on the spot just above his heart. Then all of a sudden, a flash blinded her vision, then the light was gone.

She wasn't sure what startled her more, that or the gasp for air from the man she had apparently just saved. Her heart beat wildly against her chest, and she stared at her palms, utterly puzzled by what had just occurred. In the meantime, he was coughing up water, more than she thought lungs were even capable of containing.

''Who are you?'' His eyes were blue, impossibly blue, and they reflected his confusion quite clearly while he looked up at her.

Oh. She hadn't planned this far ahead. She hadn't actually considered the possibility that she might have to talk to the person whose life she saved; which was something she absolutely could not do. He was an outsider, a person whose plans she didn't know, someone who could have villainous intentions. She couldn't simply choose to trust him, especially not with something as vital as her name.

''Doesn't matter,'' she replied hastily after a few long seconds of tense silence. With a fixed glare she pulled the dagger out of her boot and held it up to show that she was serious about her next words. ''Don't follow me.''

She quickly got up from her crouched position, moving away from him and straight into the jungle. She ran, leaving him there with nothing but the dissatisfaction of an unanswered question. But he was alive, thanks to her. She owed him nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** A huge thank you to everyone who read/followed/favorited/reviewed the first chapter! It truly means the world to me!

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Killian wasn't quite sure how to describe what had just happened.

Oh, most of it was quite clear. His ship had been attacked by approximately a dozen mermaids, and he'd been dragged underwater by one of the finned creatures. Luckily, he'd managed to rid himself and the ocean of her pitiful presence.

It was the next part that confused him. He should have drowned. He had been dying, he was certain of it. And yet, here he was, coughing up the last remnants of the water blocking his airway.

He could have sworn he had felt something amidst the pitch black of his unconscious state. It had been, most simply put, a light in the darkness. Warm and radiant, rushing through his veins with unprecedented fervor. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before in the multiple centuries he'd walked the soil of varying realms. It felt far too vivid to have been a hallucination. He couldn't possibly describe it as anything but a legitimate memory.

When he'd opened his eyes, he was greeted by a sight he wouldn't soon forget; a gorgeous woman with emerald eyes that reflected the bewilderment in his own, long blond hair hanging over her shoulder in a messy braid. She seemed incredibly startled by his return to consciousness. He could hardly blame her. After all, it wasn't easy for him to believe either.

She must have saved him somehow. But when he asked for her name, her expression had grown fearful and hostile. Not quite the reaction he was hoping for. Especially paired with the threat of a knife mere inches away from his face and a strict order not to follow her. She was gone before he could even utter another word.

After that, it was eerily quiet apart from the various noises of the wildlife in Neverland. It made him realize that he could no longer hear the mermaids, and he feared the worst. He stumbled to his feet in a hurry, looking around frantically for a sign of his ship. A breath of relief escaped his lips when he found just that. On the opposite side of the bay, just around the corner, he could see the white of the sails though the thick greenery of the jungle.

However, his reassurance at having found the Jolly roger was soon interrupted by a voice he'd been dreading to hear since the moment he decided to come back to this hellhole.

''Captain! Didn't expect to see you here again so soon.'' Killian clenched his jaw at Pan's mockery, the memory of having sailed away from this place with the intention of never coming back still painfully fresh in his mind. He supposed it had been nothing more than a pipe dream. Fate had a funny way of reminding him that he'd never truly escape the clutches of the decades spent on the island also known as the home of the Lost Boys.

''Aye. Well,'' With a heavy heart and a sarcastic smile he turned around to face the boy with the eternally smug grin, ''guess I must have missed this place.''

''Right,'' he scoffed, nonchalantly stepping away from the edge of the jungle and closer to him. ''As convincing as that argument is, I'm going to need your actual reason,'' Within a fraction of a second, he was gone from the spot he'd previously been occupying and appeared right in front of him with a whooshing sound. ''Why are you really here?''

Bloody hell. Killian couldn't claim to never invade anyone's personal space, but Pan seemed to be completely oblivious to the entire concept.

''Because my purpose hasn't changed. I need a way to kill the Dark One.'' He remained cryptic, hoping Pan would lose interest and drop the subject, despite knowing better.

''That doesn't answer the question.'' The boy slowed his speech, emphasizing every word. ''You wanted to leave, to try your luck elsewhere. So why did you come back?''

''Because he's here,'' he replied, stating the revelation matter-of-factly while lifting his chin and leaning back slightly with his hand on his belt.

''What?'' Pan temporarily dropped the threatening stance, his eyes widening at Killian's response.

''He lives somewhere on this island, and whatever it takes, I'll make sure he dies here as well,'' he vowed, gradually growing impatient of Pan's interruption of his plan now that revenge seemed within reach.

''What exactly makes you think Rumplestiltskin is in Neverland?'' the demon questioned, although it sounded like he was trying to cover his surprise with a snarky comment. ''Haven't you lived here long enough to know that we're only boys here? Well, and a fairy,'' he added with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, ''but that's still not quite the same as the Dark One.''

Either Pan wasn't aware of the blonde woman living on the island, or he was leaving that information out on purpose. Killian was leaning towards the latter, because Pan was never one to be trusted. He just couldn't quite figure out what the reasoning behind that choice could be. Why would he cover up her presence here?

He pushed the question aside for now, focusing instead on getting this conversation over with as quickly as possible.

''After I left, I started working for a sorceress for a while; Cora, the Queen of Hearts. I'm sure you've heard of her, you two share a certain type of smug villainy. But it matters not,'' Killian interjected, keeping himself from going off-topic. ''What does matter is that I did her some favors and in return, she provided me with the information I needed. She used some kind of blood magic that tracks down the oldest member of a family. As for the Dark One, I doubt any of his relatives outlived him for the past few centuries. So when the spell pointed to Neverland, I knew he had to be here.''

After the explanation for his most recent visit to this realm, Pan reacted in a way Killian hadn't expected. His surprise had faded and he chuckled as if he was enjoying an inside joke with himself.

''What is it?'' Killian asked in a distrustful tone, narrowing his eyes at the boy. He did not share his suddenly oddly cheerful mood, much less understand the abrupt shift in attitude.

''Oh, nothing. I'm just amused by the fact that…'' he visibly hesitated, looking for an answer. This was the strangest part. Pan was always prepared for anything, yet now he was struggling to come up with a believable lie. Something Killian had said apparently really caught him off-guard. ''You can't seem to leave this island, no matter how hard you try.''

While Killian had thoughts similar to those Pan expressed, he wasn't about to let him get away with the obvious distraction.

''No, there's something else you're not telling me.'' This time he was the one completely disregarding personal space, ignoring the dangers of close proximity to the bloody demon in order to attempt getting some answers out of him. ''What are you hiding? Do you know the Dark One's whereabouts?''

''Look, if you really want to stay here and search for him, then be my guest.'' Pan clearly wasn't budging. ''But permission to reside on this island doesn't come for free. After all this time of us doing business, one would think you'd remember that.''

''Aye, about that…'' Killian backed off slightly, not quite certain of how the boy would react to the news. ''I wasn't able to procure any magical items this time.''

''Oh, that's not what I'm looking for anymore.'' he replied casually, as if the magic he'd kept requesting over the past few decades suddenly didn't matter to him anymore. ''All I ask is for you to be in my employ. Do my dirty work.''

''What dirty work?'' He couldn't imagine a single scenario in which that could possibly be a good thing.

''When the time comes, I'll let you know.'' Pan smirked, and before Killian could blink, he vanished into thin air.

/

It didn't take long until Emma had almost made her way back to her tree house. Wrapping her head around what had just happened was proving to be a lot more complicated. She couldn't explain the bright lights that had danced at her fingertips, beyond her control despite coming from somewhere deep within herself.

She pushed a few large leaves aside, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Tink standing right in front of her in the clearing, arms crossed like a mother impatiently waiting for her teenage daughter to finally come home at night.

''Where were you?'' she asked, cutting to the chase right away. ''I wanted to borrow a needle and thread, but you weren't home.''

''Yeah, I know, I was just… collecting berries.'' This was never going to fool Tink, but she couldn't think of a better excuse quickly enough. She really didn't feel like explaining the actual story, as she was having doubts about her decision to save the stranger. Who knew what consequences that could have?

''Collecting berries? And what, you ate all of them before you got here?'' Tink didn't even make an attempt not to chuckle at the statement that sounded ridiculous even to Emma's ears. ''Emma, for someone as good at spotting a liar as you are, you'd think you'd have better material yourself.''

''Okay, okay. Fine. I'll explain.''

She told her about everything that had occurred that night. Well, not quite everything. She carefully left out the part about her hands glowing like fireflies. Perhaps she'd get back to that once she found a way to make sense of it herself.

''You did the right thing, but…'' the former fairy started, always quick to encourage Emma's empathy, while also preparing to forewarn her of the disadvantages of having a kind heart. ''You know Pan generally doesn't take well to outsiders.''

''I know, I know. But he doesn't need to find out. We can just-'' she paused, distracted by the sound of twigs snapping nearby. ''Wait. Someone's here,'' she whispered cautiously, sliding the dagger out of her boot in one swift motion. ''Grab a weapon, I'll ambush them from the other side.'' Having said that, she snuck out of the clearing, stealthily wading through the greenery in search of the intruder. She frowned when she saw the back of a long leather coat. Seriously? Did he really want to make her regret saving him already?

She quietly positioned herself behind him, and within the next couple of seconds, she'd grabbed a fistful of dark hair while firmly holding her weapon to his throat.

''I thought I told you not to follow me,'' she hissed, ignoring his protesting grunts.

''Oh, I'm not here for you, love, but this is certainly a pleasant bonus.'' His voice was strained and his neck was exposed to a sharp blade, yet he decided to flirt. Unbelievable. She didn't return his teasing expression, instead pressing her dagger threateningly against his skin. That effectively reduced his smug grin to a wary smile and a slightly worried gulp. ''Or at least it would be if you didn't insist on greeting me with a knife to the throat every time we met.''

From the corner of her eyes, Emma could see Tink burst through the leaves, cutlass in hand and ready to protect her friend if necessary. However, after taking one brief glance at the man, she let out a chuckle and rolled her eyes.

''Hello, Hook.''

''Lady Bell,'' he replied politely, smiling through the discomfort of his current situation.

''Wait, you two know each other?'' This casual exchange was baffling to Emma. She gaped at them, repeatedly shifting her gaze between the two.

''Yes. He may be a bit of a cocky prick, but we can trust him.'' Tink flashed him a lopsided smile while insulting him with the ease of a couple of old friends meeting once again.

''I can buy that first part, but I'm not so sure about the rest.'' Despite her claims of still being suspicious of him, she reluctantly let go of his hair. She then moved to stand next to Tink, but kept a firm grip on her dagger. Just in case.

''Then allow me to disabuse you of that notion. Killian Jones.'' He introduced himself with a smile and a bow. ''But most people have taken to call me by my more colorful moniker. Hook.''

''You're a pirate,'' she stated matter-of-factly. Only just now did she notice his missing limb and its replacement; a weapon fit for a pirate.

''Ah, what gave it away?'' he replied with a sarcastic smirk and raised eyebrows, theatrically waving his prosthetic around. ''Now, you already know my profession and here you haven't even told me your name.''

At first she scoffed, followed by a tight-lipped smile that practically screamed _'yeah, not happening buddy'_ , but Tink shot her a look that made her sigh in resignation.

''Emma. Emma Swan.''

''Hook, why are you here?'' Tink cut the conversation short, promptly questioning Hook. ''I thought you'd left Neverland for good?''

''Aye, so did I. But it appears fate had other plans for me. A spell led me here, to the Dark One. He's in Neverland.'' He paused briefly, allowing the information to sink in. ''I came to ask if you happen to know where he is.''

''No. No, I don't,'' she replied, anxiously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. It was clear that the Dark One possibly being nearby made her nervous, which was understandable, seeing as people in every realm feared him. ''Are you sure he's here? Wouldn't we have have seen him?''

''Now now, It's not exactly fairy-like to doubt magic.''

''I was a fairy.'' Reminders of who she used to be always hit her hard, but Emma could see that she was putting on a brave face. ''That was a long time ago.''

''What do you want with the Dark One, anyway?'' Emma tilted her head slightly, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Hook was interesting, she'd give him that. Not much more, though. Certainly nothing about his distractingly good looks.

''To kill him,'' he replied, voice suddenly cold while a shadow darkened his blue eyes.

''You know, these murderous intentions are not really convincing me of the whole 'trustworthy' part.''

''He murdered the woman I love. I intend to make him suffer for it.'' The way he looked at her while explaining his purpose, so earnest and so heartbroken, immediately told her it was the truth and left her unable to form a witty response. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like, losing someone you loved like that. She had known loss herself in the twenty-seven years of her life, but it wasn't the same as his. ''Look, if neither of you has any information, I'm heading back to my ship. It was attacked by-''

''By mermaids, yes, I know.'' Tink cut him off before she was forced to endure a retelling of the events.

''Ah, you told her all about our adventure together, did you?'' A wide grin spread over his face, one teasing eyebrow shooting up. Well, that certainly cheered him up. Luckily his reaction left her enough room for a reply equally as ridiculing.

''Yes, I told her in detail exactly how I had to save your sorry ass from drowning in the three feet of bay water.''

Her sneer wasn't met with the response she was expecting. Instead of his smile fading even slightly, it only grew (and with it, her exasperation).

''Oh, you're a tough lass. You'd make a hell of a pirate,'' he said, and she never thought she'd hear that word used as a compliment, but genuine admiration rang true in his tone. ''Speaking of, unfortunately I have to leave you two lovely ladies. I need to make sure the Jolly Roger will still be able to set sail after I've fulfilled my purpose here.''

''Right.''

''But don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back before that time comes,'' he called over his shoulder, already having turned around and started his way back to his ship.

''Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that.'' But she couldn't entirely fight off the smile pulling at the corners of her lips. Alright, that was another thing she could admit; he was quite amusing.

/

Killian stared at the gaping hole, his heart hurting at the sight of it. He and his ship had weathered many a storm together, traveled between numerous lands, seen many strange, glittering shores. But in all those years, this had been the first time that it had become so gravely damaged.

He took a step closer, running his hand along the jagged edges of the splintered wood. With him having ended up in the water, there had been no one left with the same expertise to guide the ship to safety.

His men had eventually been successful in defeating the mermaids, sending some of them to an early grave and others swimming off in self-preservation. However, their attack had accomplished at least one thing; rendering the ship helpless against the water littered with wild currents and dangerous rocks. Those two elements combined were the reason for the Jolly Roger being in its current run-down state.

Fortunately, the rocks were positioned very close to the shore, and so the ship had washed up on the sands before it could take on enough water to sink. Still, their foes had inflicted a fair amount of damage. The hole in the side of the ship was almost as tall as himself, and it would definitely be a pain to repair. They'd need enchanted wood, the material that the majority of the vessel was made of, which was not easy to come by.

Suddenly, his ears caught the sounds of leaves rustling behind him and he spun around, swiftly unsheathing his sword. His eyes scanned the trees of the jungle, the eternal darkness in Neverland making it nearly impossible to see anything amongst them. The island was filled with numerous dangers. The odds of whatever was hiding behind the bushes actually being friendly were awfully low. He knew it couldn't be a member of his crew, as they were all aboard the ship, relieving it of the water that it had collected through the rain and the leak.

''Who's there? Show yourself!'' he snarled, adopting a fighting stance.

''Calm down, it's just me. You can put your toothpick away.'' The woman who had saved him the day before pushed aside the leaves, casually trudging over to him with nothing but sheer disregard of his weapon.

''Swan! This is indeed a most pleasant surprise,'' he replied, his voice devoid of the wariness from only moments before while his sword smoothly slid back into its sheath. ''May I ask what prompted you to bless me with your ever cheerful presence?''

''I was just hoping to get a look at your ship without you seeing it as an opportunity to bond or whatever.'' She was still regarding him with a certain coldness, but seemed to at least trust him enough to stand in front of him without threatening him with a weapon. That was undoubtedly a step forward.

''Well, that's a plausible excuse for visiting me, but next time don't stand on ceremony.'' He grinned at his own comment, before he turned away from her unamused glare to face the ship. He spoke with considerably less levity while he overlooked the sight. ''You caught her on a bad day. Blasted mermaids almost managed to claim her as theirs at the bottom of the ocean.''

He glanced sideways momentarily, and saw that curiosity and intrigue colored her eyes at the sight of the ship. That admiration was something he could relate to. He'd been captaining this ship for centuries, knew every inch and loose plank, and yet he still felt the same wonder when he looked at her as when he first saw her. Just a boy back then, fresh out of slavery, seeing a second chance in the colorful vessel.

''But she's a marvel. Made of enchanted wood. Which is unfortunately why it'll be difficult to patch her up.''

''Not really.'' That caught his attention, and he looked at her in anticipation. ''There's enough of that on the island, you just need to know where to look.''

''And I gather you do?'' he inquired, trying to pace the optimism welling up in him in order to keep himself from pushing too hard for further information.

''Yeah. But it's about a two day's trek from here.''

''Look, Swan, I know you don't really trust me-'' he started, not at all sure he would be able to convince her to accept his idea.

''That's right, I don't.''

''-but I wouldn't be asking this if it wasn't necessary.'' When his eyes turned pleading, hers turned a tinge softer as well. ''The Jolly Roger can't travel between realms without the magic of that wood. So, please, will you help me find it?''

''Fine.'' Her voice was all business, but she agreed to aid him in his search, and that was all he needed. ''At least that way I can keep an eye on you.''

''Ah, I suspected you'd enjoy that.'' A teasing grin spread across his face as he leaned back, resting his hand on his belt and raising a teasing eyebrow.

''Let's go,'' she grumbled, turning around immediately after shooting daggers at him.

She was a challenge and a woman of action, that much was clear. Not that he minded either of those characteristics. He actually found himself quite eager to start on this journey with her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

''Keep up,'' Emma demanded, throwing a strict glance over her shoulder in the direction of her traveling companion. Hook's leather jacket had gotten caught on a branch, and he was trying to use his prosthetic to cut it loose. Honestly, it would probably be a hell of a lot easier to simply use his hand for a task such as this one. Was this his way of showing off? "You'll look for any excuse to use that thing, won't you?''

''Well, now that I have it, I figure I should make the most of it,'' he replied, flashing that annoyingly attractive smirk at her after managing to free himself of the thorny branch. She was almost impressed. Not that she'd ever tell him that, of course. In the relatively short time she'd known him, she'd learned he was quite full of himself. She definitely didn't feel the need to stroke his already bloated ego. What she did want, though, was to know how he ended up with a hook for a hand, as well as the matching name.

''How'd you get it?'' she inquired, determined to hear the story now that it had sparked her curiosity.

''What? My irresistible charm? My good looks?'' he joked, winking at her while he did so. She returned his shit-eating grin with an unamused glare. He knew exactly what she meant, it was visible in the way his overconfident facade soon faded, replaced by pensive sorrow. ''It was the day I lost Milah... The reason the Dark One was on my ship in the first place was because he was looking for a magic bean.''

Emma remained quiet while he revealed part of his history. They continued walking, but their pace had slowed considerably, as they each lost themselves in the story. ''But when he killed my love I refused to give it to him. So, he cut off the hand which he thought was holding the bean. What he didn't know at the time was that I had switched it to my right hand,'' he reminisced, a wicked grin pulling ever so slightly at the corners of his lips. ''I wish I could have seen his face when he discovered that.''

She pushed aside a thick branch, letting him pass her by while she went over his words in her mind. She could tell they were truthful; It was clear in the way his voice softened, the way he tried to use humor to avoid talking about it, the way he averted his eyes when the anguish became visible in their blue depths. Already she was finding out that there was far more to Captain Hook than just his pompousness and vanity. The broken remnants of an aching heart lay just beneath the surface, and maybe he could fool others with his exterior, but for some reason he seemed to open up to her instinctively.

''Quid pro quo, love,'' he said suddenly, a little while after his last words. He'd stopped without warning, making her almost crash into him. Promptly pulled away from her musings, she looked up at him in a mixture of annoyance at his sudden stop and confusion at his words. Turning around, he seemed to have noticed her lack of comprehension, and further clarified, ''I answered your burning question, now I'd like you to answer one of mine.'' She didn't like where this was headed. He may have chosen to share his thoughts with her, but that didn't mean she was required to do the same. She wasn't sure she could, even if she wanted to. Which, for the record, she definitely didn't. ''How come you have magic?''

Yeah, that probably topped the long list of things she didn't want to talk about with him. ''I don't,'' she replied resolutely, perhaps with a tad too much haste for it to be anything but blatant denial.

''Really?'' he scoffed, eyebrows shooting up. Clearly, he wasn't buying it. ''Then how do you explain the bright glow I saw when you saved me?'' Apparently he'd seen it too. On the one hand, that meant she wasn't imagining things. On the other hand, maybe she would've preferred to believe that instead of facing the truth. ''I can see you know exactly what I'm talking about.''

''You don't know me.''

''Perhaps not. But you're something of an open book,'' he stated, closing the majority of the gap between them with one step. She hadn't even realized just how close to each other they'd been standing, even more so now. However, she refused to be the one to back away. That would mean he'd win this unspoken challenge, and there was no part of her that wished to allow him that pleasure.

''Am I?'' she retorted sarcastically, remaining headstrong.

''Quite. It's obvious that having magic scares you. And I think yesterday was the first time you realized you had it.'' His eyes searched her face for a reaction she couldn't seem to mask. The fact that she resorted to averting her eyes was probably all the evidence he needed to know that his assumption was correct. ''But I've seen light magic like yours at work. It's a source of good. So what are you so afraid of?''

Truth be told, she wasn't sure. Something inside of her simply refused to accept the notion of her having magic. The thought of it made her stomach twist, as if even her own immune system saw it as an infiltrating virus that needed to be eliminated. Except she had no clue how she'd accomplish that, if such a feat was even possible, and ignoring it for the time being seemed like the easiest option. That is, if Hook hadn't insisted on bringing it up.

''Well, if I'm really an open book like you said, I'm sure you'll figure it out,'' she shot back, a sarcastic smile on her lips as she brushed past him. Noticing the particularly thick greenery before them, she drew her sword, intending to clear their path as well as take out some of her frustration - with both herself and the persistent pirate - out on the trees.

''I hope so.'' His voice was soft, so much so that she didn't know for certain if he'd even meant for her to hear it. Either way, his sincerity gave her pause. He truly meant that, despite the hard time she'd been giving him. She almost considered his wasted effort a shame.

''Come on, it's this way.'' Her blade sliced through the branches and leaves with ease, but not with as much ferocity as she'd intended to use before hearing his quiet confession.

/

They'd walked for what felt like forever, the tension between them tangible after their unexpectedly heated conversation. It had led to a suspenseful silence for the majority of the way, only sporadically interrupted by words of warning about dangerous animals or thorns of poisonous plants. Killian despised land travel. There were truly only few things more boring than trudging through a humid jungle with seemingly no end in sight. The one bright spot was the company, although admittedly, Emma Swan was a tough nut to crack. But he loved a challenge. He hoped she would enjoy it too, despite the fact that he wasn't letting her off easy in regards to her newfound powers.

At last, they arrived at a clearing, and it appeared he was finally allowed a break from walking. She had slowed to a halt, cautiously inspecting her surroundings. Seemingly satisfied with the results, she turned around to look him in the eye again for the first time in hours.

''We're about halfway there, tomorrow we'll get to the forest with enchanted wood. We should make camp here tonight,'' she declared, her tone detached and business-like. ''I'll take first watch.''

''No need. I can stay up while you rest,'' he offered in a casual tone, in an attempt to avoid having to explain his motives behind this particular generosity.

No such luck.

''So you can attack me in my sleep? I don't think so,'' she scoffed, shooting down his suggestion without so much as a second thought. Bloody hell. He couldn't recall a single time a woman had so fiercely distrusted him, especially not one that so fearlessly declared it time and time again, either through words or actions. It was admirable, but also quite inconvenient, seeing as their journey demanded that they work together, and adequate teamwork is practically nonexistent when one person doesn't trust the other.

''Pardon me, love, but between the two of us, I'm not the one who reaches for their weapon in half of our interactions,'' he countered, his hand motioning to the object in question. Her eyes followed his gesture down to her sword while she seemingly considered his words for a moment.

''Then why won't you sleep?'' Her brows were still furrowed, but he figured that her asking him a question without a hint of sarcasm or disdain meant she was at the very least willing to actually listen to him.

''Because I can't,'' he replied sincerely, clenching his jaw while he averted his gaze from her piercing green eyes.

''You can hear the crying, too?'' Her eyes widened, long lashes fluttering in surprise. That last word didn't escape him, nor did the sense of kinship that her voice expressed while she uttered the sentence in one breath. That was the one thing that pushed him to continue.

''Aye. Aboard my ship it's not as loud, but I won't be able to rest here in the middle of the jungle. I've tried it before, didn't take.'' He recalled those countless sleepless nights, caused purely by his stubbornness not to accept his past and his determination to not let his crew discover that he couldn't get any shut-eye on the island. He despised thinking about the somber days of his youth, but the cause of his ability to hear the crying of the Lost Boys was undeniable. In his own way, he was one too.

''Your parents abandoned you?'' She hit the nail on the head immediately, making him smirk mirthlessly. He'd found that this particular habit had developed into a self-defense mechanism, an attempt to shield his vulnerabilities. It was his go-to reaction, and after centuries of allowing it, he doubted that would ever change. He'd rather make fun of his misery than to acknowledge its serious nature, because admitting pain meant showing weakness. And if there was one thing he refused to be seen as, it was weak.

''Need I remind you, you still haven't answered my question from before,'' he snapped, the words coming out sharper than either of them had expected due to his brief introspection. He inconspicuously took a deep breath before continuing in a deliberately calmer tone. ''I am under no obligation to share.'' He fully intended to leave her with no further information, already turning away from her, the tail of his coat swishing behind him.

''I never knew my parents,'' she blurted out, loud enough to make him stop dead in his tracks. Her voice was overflowing with the feeling of melancholy and betrayal that he recognized all too well. What she had confessed wasn't the answer to his question from before about her magic, but still, he'd take it. He moved his head slightly to the side, not quite far enough to allow a glimpse over his shoulder, but notable enough for her to see that she had his attention. When she was sure of that, she continued in a softer voice, ''Tink told me I just showed up in a basket on this island one day, barely a day old. All I had with me was a baby blanket with my name on it. The only reason I can sleep despite the crying of the Lost Boys is because Tink took care of me for all those years.'' She paused for a few long seconds, letting the tense silence merge with the humidity in the air around them. ''But I can still hear it.''

''Well, aren't we quite the messed up pair?'' he responded sarcastically with a glance over his shoulder, and he saw her eyes go wide in surprise at his mockery. Clearly she had expected better from him, despite her best efforts to demonstrate the opposite. It made him smile, but the light didn't quite reach his eyes, for she was wrong; he was not the kind of man she must have thought him to be. The kind of goodness that she was waiting for was no longer present in his heart. He'd never seen it outside his body, but he didn't need to; he knew it couldn't be any color but pitch black.

He clenched his jaw and furrowed his brow, more so at himself than at her. Looking back in front of him, he started to saunter away, intending to claim a spot near the fallen log.

''Wait,'' she exclaimed, forcibly holding him back by grabbing his upper arm, ''you promised to answer my question if I answered yours.''

''Actually, I made no such promises,'' he argued, turning slightly to look her straight in the eye while he elaborated, ''I shared the origin of my hook, you shared your beginnings. I'd say we're even.''

''That's not fair!'' she protested, her grip on his coat tightening as if she was afraid he would move away from her again. He'd find the almost childlike expression on her face, not far removed from a full-on pout, thoroughly endearing if it wasn't for the fact that she was attempting to dig deeper into his vulnerabilities.

''Neither is abandonment, which is why I'd rather not discuss the details. All you need to know is that my parents left and it hurt. Surely you understand that.'' It was obvious he'd struck a nerve, as she visibly gulped and her lips pressed together tightly, the almost permanent frown reclaiming its presence on her features once again. ''Now please, get some rest,'' he added, the sharpness in his tone gone just as quickly as it had come. ''I promise I'll still be here for you to yell at tomorrow.'' He couldn't suppress a quick innuendo, hoping to, at least somewhat, lighten the mood. ''Unless you'd prefer to do other more enjoyable activities?''

''Keep dreaming, buddy,'' she scoffed, but her relieved smile at the lifting of the tension was unmistakable, and that was well worth the rejection. He raised a playful eyebrow and smirked, teasingly dragging his tongue over his lips.

''If the lady insists.'' That earned him an eyeroll, which he simply responded to with a wink. The distraction from their demons had been successful.

She ended up being the one to break eye contact, looking around the clearing in search of a good spot. Once she thought she found one, she turned away from him and wandered over to it. Lying down, she settled her head on a thin layer of fallen leaves, seemingly not bothered by the rough terrain. Her back was turned to him, which he took as a sign that her worries about him attacking her in her sleep had ebbed away during their conversation. When he saw her muscles slowly relax, he decided against bothering her with a quick goodnight, and took a seat near the log he'd set his eyes on before.

It didn't take long for her breaths to even out, from then on continuing in a steady rhythm. After a few more minutes, she turned to her other side, unconsciously allowing him to see the way her distrusting frown had disappeared, replaced by a serene expression he could merely dream of witnessing while she was awake. He also noticed the way her braid fell over her shoulder, and briefly wondered what the golden locks would look like if they were loose and exposed to sunshine foreign to Neverland. Perhaps he even allowed himself the pleasure of imagining what it would feel like under the fluttering touch of his fingertips while they'd cradle the back of her head.

That was, until he reminded himself that no distraction was worth the loss of his revenge, not even one as stunning as Emma Swan. He kept convincing himself of that thought, even while he gently spread his jacket over her body to counteract the cold of the night.

/

She awoke with a start, reacting instinctively to the noise she'd heard by reaching for her sword. It wasn't until she had a firm grip on it that she actually began to take in her surroundings. The first thing she saw was Hook, bent over a log with a couple of objects on it that she couldn't quite make out yet.

It was evident that he'd noticed her rise from slumber, because although he didn't turn around, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It pissed her off how good his profile looked, because how dare he take advantage of her while she was still sleepy and not half as guarded as usual? She had minimal reference when it came to grown up men, but she wasn't blind. She knew he was handsome, and unfortunately, so did he. "Startling, aren't I? Some people say 'striking'.''

The realization dawned on her that his footsteps must have been the culprit for her sudden awakening, not some kind of danger. Her tense muscles relaxed ever so slightly in relief. She ignored his self-indulgent remark, absentmindedly swatting away a couple of persistent mosquitos. ''What are you doing? And what is this?'' she asked groggily, sounding somewhat affronted while she lifted up the black piece of clothing draped over her body to get a better look at it.

''Preparing breakfast, love,'' he replied like it was the most normal thing in the world, turning around while holding up one of the objects which she now recognized as a coconut. ''And that,'' He gestured at the improvised blanket, ''would be my jacket.''

''So now you're gonna be a gentleman?'' She found it a whole lot easier to throw a sarcastic comment at him than to admit she was pleasantly surprised by his thoughtfulness. After pushing aside his jacket and sheathing her sword, she stood up and raised her arms above her head, stretching her muscles with a contented groan.

''You were practically freezing. As for breakfast; you're gonna need your strength if yesterday's journey is anything to go by.'' He made his way over to her, creating an opening in the coconut with the sharp tip of his hook before looking up with a self-satisfied grin. ''And I'm always a gentleman.''

''Don't you worry about my strength, I have plenty,'' she retorted, shooting him a look.

''Oh, I have no doubts about that.'' The widening grin on his lips now showed some kind of admiration, and she couldn't help but watch it with intrigue. ''Still, I suggest you save the aggression for any possible dangers we might encounter, instead of taking it out on me.''

''Pass me the coconut,'' she grumbled, refusing to acknowledge that he was probably right.

''As you wish.''

They ate in relative silence, which was fine by her. She had enough to think about anyway. Her unanswered question from the day before was still very much on her mind. She truly did relate to him when it came to abandonment, and she understood his need not to talk about his parents, and it was true that he'd shared just as much as her. And yet, there was a part of her that was oddly bothered by his refusal to open up further. Ultimately, she decided to write it off as her own incurable curiosity.

After they finished the last of the berries, Hook put his leather jacket back on and they continued their journey. Emma was leading the way, guiding them through an entirely uninhabited part of the jungle.

''Come on, we're almost at Dark Hollow,'' she announced, not looking back until the sound of his footsteps abruptly ended. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she was met with the sight of an unusually concerned pirate.

''Dark Hollow?'' he repeated in disbelief, clearly hoping she was joking. Honestly, so did she. The place was a bit of a myth among the Lost Ones. Supposedly, it was the darkest spot on the entire island. Any light that made its way in was snuffed out by the shadows that called it home. But for all their boasting, none of the boys were ever brave enough to find out if it was true. Although it seemed they weren't the only ones afraid of the reputation of the most feared location in Neverland, judging by the way Hook spoke of it. ''Don't tell me we're actually going to that infernal place. Even I've managed to avoid it.''

''Well, time to break tradition. We have to pass through it to get to the part of the jungle with enchanted wood.''

''The things I do for my ship,'' he muttered under his breath, just barely making it audible to her. At least he had an actual reason for participating in this madness. What was hers?

She didn't allow herself to contemplate that for too long, physically pulling herself away from her involuntary introspection by continuing down their path. This time Hook followed her, sighing heavily at what he now knew lay ahead.

Eventually her eyes landed on a host of branches without even a single leaf on them, something incredibly rare on the island. After examining them closely and discovering that they were shielding an entrance, she turned back to Hook. ''I guess this is it... After you,'' she added, tilting her head in the direction of the plants.

He simply smiled at that, thankfully sparing her the 'ladies first' argument. Scratching behind his ear, he brushed past her and went in without further hesitation. She followed his lead, but with a lot more reluctance. She had a bad feeling about this.

Once they were in, she learned that while some parts of the stories were true - it was indeed the darkest spot on the island -, others didn't exactly match the reality. Although darkness ran rampant in Dark Hollow, it was not entirely devoid of light. In fact, there seemed to be an ominous red glow illuminating the entire place, which in her opinion actually added to the creepy atmosphere created by the plethora of dead trees.

It was also quiet. Too quiet.

''Look out!'' She heard from behind her, and from the moment that warning was uttered, everything suddenly went by in a flash.

She whirled around, only just in time to see a dark figure rapidly approaching her through the air. She didn't even get a split second to reach for her sword. Just when her body prepared itself for the seemingly inevitable collision, Hook threw himself in front of her, effectively getting her out of harm's way.

Even though it was his body that was slammed against a tree by the shadow, it felt like all the air was knocked out of her own lungs.

''Hook!''


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Killian was no stranger to pain.

He'd had his fair -or rather, unfair- share of it during his life, both the physical and the emotional kind. The moment the cutlass separated his hand from his body was still seared into his brain. The pain had been excruciating, but at the time it had been overshadowed by the fresh wound that was the loss of Milah. Perhaps the years afterwards were even more torturous, as he had to learn to live without a hand and without love. The phantom limb pain had faded over the centuries, but other wounds were not so easily healed.

Still, nothing could have prepared him for the pain that took hold of his body when his shadow was being ripped away from it. It was pure agony. His resistance only seemed to delay the inevitable, like holding your breath underwater when you know you're drowning. But he was a survivor, and therefore every bone in his body fought the overwhelming urge to just give up.

The shadow had him pinned against a tree, several feet in the air. When Killian heard his moniker called in desperation, he managed to open his eyes with great effort. The terrified expression on Emma's face as she stood there as if frozen solid made him remember the whole reason he was in this predicament in the first place. Not wanting his oddly selfless decision to be in vain, he called out in a strained voice, ''Just go!''

She did not take well to orders. Or rather, it appeared her magic didn't allow her to follow them. A beam of light forced him to screw his eyes shut, while simultaneously feeling the sharp pain in his entire body rapidly fade away. The violent ache of his shadow splitting from his body was replaced by the pain of a less than graceful landing on the ground.

Pushing himself onto his elbows with a grunt, he suddenly felt two hands on his shoulder blades and looked up to see Emma kneeling beside him. Barely managing to croak out a quip, he chuckled, ''No magic, huh?''

''Shut up and let me get you out of here,'' she snapped, forcefully pulling him up to stand. She swung his arm over her shoulder, and she was probably right in her assumption that he wouldn't be able to walk on his own, as the world seemed to be spinning before his eyes. Her worry was evident in the way her eyes darted around in search of more of those devilish spawns, and in the brisk pace at which they approached something that resembled an exit.

Fortunately, that was precisely what it was, and so they both made it out in one piece. Dragging him along a bit further, she propped him up against a tree. His breaths began to grow less shallow at the realization that the perilous situation was now behind them.

''You're bloody brilliant! Amazing!'' he beamed at her as she crouched beside him, but she seemed in no mood for compliments.

''What were you thinking? You could have died!'' she scolded, and the fact that it genuinely angered her only made his smile broader, which probably just added to her frustration.

''I didn't know you cared,'' he teased, and it sounded like a joke. But the moment he said it, he realized how much truth that statement encompassed. This was the first hard evidence that she did feel somewhat partial to him.

''I care enough not to let you get yourself killed on my watch.'' She wasn't fazed by his words, nor did she let them distract her from the task she'd initiated; her hands traveled along his body, obviously checking for broken bones and other signs of alarming injuries.

''Well, that's a start.''

''I swear, if you almost die again I'll kill you myself.''

''I'd be honored,'' he smirked, putting his hand on one of hers in what was hopefully a reassuring gesture. Her frantic movements stilled as her gaze fell on their hands. ''I'm fine, love. As much as I love the doting attention, there's no need to worry. Almost getting your shadow ripped from your body is a most unpleasant experience, but it appears to have surprisingly few repercussions on your health. I'd rather discuss your side of the story.'' Only then did her eyes shift from their hands to his eyes, enabling him to see her dazed confusion. ''Your magic, Swan. You wielded it again.''

''I know,'' she sighed, defeat coloring her words. The last time he'd brought it up he'd been met with a wall of stubborn denial, but this incident made it impossible for her to keep lying about it to anyone, including herself. She absentmindedly pulled back her hand, which left his notably colder in its absence. He was briefly distracted by how much that bothered him, but when she moved to sit down beside him, he quickly shifted to make room for her to sit with her back against the tree as well.

''It's just-'' A sharp intake of breath. He searched her face, noting her furrowed brow and the way her lips pressed together in a tight line for a split second before parting again. ''It makes me think about my parents.'' She stared off into the distance, eyes watering up ever so slightly. ''Maybe… maybe my magic is the reason they sent me away. Maybe they were afraid of what they couldn't understand. Maybe it's the whole reason I'll always be stuck on this island.'' With tears threatening to spill over, she took a shaky breath, and it sounded like a crumbling wall. ''How could I ever accept something that might be the reason why I grew up without them?'' _Why I grew up as a Lost Girl. As an orphan._ He heard her unspoken thoughts loud and clear. They tugged at his heart, because the question of _''why would anyone give me away''_ had been plaguing his mind for centuries, and he couldn't imagine what it would feel like to think that the answer was _''because I'm not what they wanted''_.

He shook his head to rid himself of the repulsive thought. ''You can't look at it that way.'' The strength in his voice seemed to surprise her, as she turned her head to look at him with wide eyes, wordlessly pleading him to offer her an alternative point of view. ''Your magic is a part of you, Swan. And you've used it for good; you've saved my life twice already.''

''I like that that's your definition of good.'' It was the first genuine laugh he'd heard from her, and in that instant he knew he'd do anything to hear it again. But next time they could hopefully forego the sadness-ridden tear painting her cheeks, accompanied by her hand hastily reaching up to wipe it away.

''Look, Emma,'' he said solemnly, seeing her surprise at his use of her first name but choosing not to mention it, ''I can't claim to understand exactly how you feel, but I do know that wounds that are made when we're young tend to linger. When I was a boy, my father, my brother and I boarded a ship with plans to travel the realms,'' he revealed in a somber tone, unable to even recall the last time he'd told anyone about this part of his past. ''One morning, I awoke, and he was gone. Turns out, he was a fugitive. He heard there were soldiers waiting at the next port, so he fled in the middle of the night to avoid capture. He paid for a boat by selling my brother and I into servitude.''

''I'm sorry.'' She didn't say it in many words, but he could feel that she meant it.

He subtly nodded, letting her know it was alright. All he'd wanted to do was show her she wasn't alone. If he'd succeeded in doing so by revisiting his own past, the pain was worth it.

''Well, guess you were right,'' she added with a sad smile, continuing when he raised an eyebrow in confusion. ''We do make quite the team. Lost Boy and Lost Girl.''

/

Emma tilted her head up, examining the position of the stars, eventually concluding that they must have been walking for about three hours since their departure from Dark Hollow. Since there were no such things as sunlight and daytime in Neverland, the only way to tell the time was by looking at the constellations in the sky. Sometimes Emma wondered what sunshine would feel like. The only reason she even knew of its existence was because Tink used to tell her about it, mostly as a bedtime story when she was younger. The way she described it made it sound like a beautiful phenomenon, yet utterly unreachable. She said it was as bright as the flames on a torch, as warm as the air of the jungle, as calming as the sensation of drifting off into slumber.

That description reminded her of the feeling of her magic.

Pushing a few branches aside, she let out a sigh of relief when she saw they'd finally arrived at their destination. Motioning at the enchanted wood, she turned around to her equally tired companion. ''Well, here it is.''

''Aye,'' he said with a nod of agreement while he took in the sight before them. The forest was exclusively filled with the type of trees they were looking for. ''I don't recall ever seeing this much of it in one place.''

''Hey, did you actually think of a way to get it back to your boat?'' She looked at him expectantly while wiping the beads of sweat off her brow.

''Ship, Swan.''

''Same thing,'' she argued, but it was more of a tease than anything hostile, ''now stop dodging the question.''

''When you mentioned we'd be travelling to this part of the island, I remembered the steep cliffs on the other side. I figured if we could fashion some kind of rope, we could lower the wood down to the beach. Then we'd simply place it in the water and drag it along with us. Shouldn't be too difficult, one of the main qualities of this wood is how light it is.'' He smiled, clearly proud of his plan. Plus, she hadn't expected him to actually have one, so the surprise on her face most likely only added to his glee.

She collected herself quickly, humming in assent to his suggestion. ''I guess that could work. Okay, let's find some vines and make rope.''

''Are you saying I've impressed you, Swan?'' He teased with a raised eyebrow, taking a step closer to her.

''I would never,'' she stated, but judging by his low chuckle, he could practically feel her smile even after she'd long since brushed past him.

Together, they set Hook's plan into motion right away. After collecting some wood by cutting it off the trees with their swords, they made rope from vines and used it to lower the wood down to the beach. Once it was there, they tied a rope around their respective waists and slowly made their way down the steep cliff.

''I imagine it'll be smooth sailing for this vessel,'' the pirate quipped while he tied the rope around the wood in order to keep it all together while it floated on the calm waves of the shallow water. He started walking, dragging the make-shift raft along with him.

Emma snorted and rolled her eyes good-heartedly. ''If you say so. You're the expert, after all.''

''Aye, that I am,'' he boasted, casting some overt glances at her while they trudged along the shore. Suddenly, he seemed to come up with an idea. Stopping dead in his tracks, He reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket, pulling out a leather-clad flask. ''Rum?''

Alcohol was something she'd never been able to procure on the island. It was an exotic mystery, and the only person she knew who'd ever drank it was Tink. It was one of the subjects Emma could ask endless questions about. Therefore, she knew rum contained alcohol, and was all too eager to accept his offer in order to quench her curiosity. She lifted the flask to her lips and took a generous swing, but pulled it away just as quickly, grimacing at the burning sensation in her throat.

''Careful, it packs quite a wallop,'' he chuckled as she handed him back the rum with an appalled expression. He then proceeded to take a few large gulps, forgoing his own precautions. However, his face remained neutral. Clearly he'd had a great deal of practice.

''Yeah, thanks for the warning,'' she replied sarcastically, but her mind was more focused on the mysterious warmth that the alcohol imparted to her tongue, throat, and stomach.

They continued to follow the waterline, passing the time by asking each other questions. Emma's inquiries about piracy were usually met with far-fetched tales of monsters and impossibilities. Hook's inquiries about her life in Neverland prompted mostly vague or incomplete answers. She really wasn't sure why he asked if Pan knew of her existence, because of course he did. Hook, however, stood by his declaration that he had told him otherwise. It puzzled her, to say the least.

Seeing as the route back to the ship was far shorter than the one they'd been obliged to take on the way to the forest of enchanted wood, they arrived at their destination within just a few hours. Hook then ordered a few men to carry the building material from the sea to the damaged part of the hull.

''I should probably tell Tink where I've been these past few days,'' she mused out loud, feeling just a tad guilty about not having told her friend of the journey, ''let her know I'm still alive and all that.''

He nodded with a short chuckle, his voice softening when she turned toward the jungle. ''Good night, Swan.''

''Good night, Hook,'' she wished him in return, granting him an easy smile over her shoulder before she left.

/

Killian inspected the progress on the repairs of his beloved vessel, a proud smile tugging at his lips as he took in the sight. The gaping hole was gone, now all that needed to be done was adding some blue and white paint and it would be ready to set sail again. After he'd found and killed the Crocodile, of course.

The sound of footsteps interrupted his reverie, but his grin only grew when he turned around and saw the culprit. ''Swan! To what do I owe the pleasure? Is there another grand quest you'd like to go on, perhaps?''

''No, I think that last trip was more than enough for a while. I came to see the results of it,'' she clarified, letting her gaze rest on the hull of the ship. ''Looks like you're patching her up pretty well.''

''Aye, that we are,'' he agreed, following her eyes and leaning back with his fingers looped around his belt. He looked back at her after a few seconds, flashing a teasing smirk. ''Although you're really gonna have to conjure up some new excuses for coming to see me.'' She noisily cleared her throat, ignoring his remark. It wasn't a very convincing act, which only increased his enjoyment of the conversation. ''Alright, let's pretend for a second that you really are more interested in my ship than in my company.''

''I am,'' she claimed in an affronted tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

''Well then,'' he bowed in a slightly over-dramatic gesture, holding out his hand for her to take, ''would the lady grant me the honor of accepting my humble offer for an exclusive tour?''

A surprised laugh escaped her lips. Clearly, she thought his antics to be - at the very least - enjoyably unpredictable. She slipped her hand into his with a roll of her eyes in feigned annoyance, making sure her reply was as casual as possible to offset his over the top performance. ''Fine.''

He straightened his back and moved toward the Jolly Roger, guiding the lady Swan up the gangplank. Once safely on the ship, he began describing the various parts, along with their most defining tale; the mast once held a sail woven from the last remaining feathers of the great creature Pegasus. The canons had caused an entire fleet of a corrupt king to sink to the bottom of the ocean. The bowsprit had pierced straight through the heart of a kraken twice the size of the ship itself. The hull used to carry the name 'Jewel of the Realm' multiple centuries ago.

Fortunately, Emma was too captivated by his stories to notice a few members of the crew sleazily leering at her. But he did, and while shooting them dangerous glares, he made a mental note of the ones he'd afterwards threaten to throw overboard if they ever dared to look at her the wrong way again.

His mood lightened considerably when he shifted his gaze back to her. She was fascinated by everything she saw, and her joy was contagious. He smiled gently, once again offering his hand, glad that this time she took it with less reluctance. ''Now, how about I show you the Captain's Quarters?''

She raised an eyebrow at his suggestive tone, but nodded nonetheless. That was his cue to open the door, leading her below deck. He was the first to enter the spacious room, taking a look around to decide on what to tell her about first. However, Emma had never descended a staircase in her life, and tripped on a step halfway down. Killian reacted quickly, preventing her from dropping to the floor by wrapping his arms around her torso. Her hands frantically reached for something to hold onto, resulting in her grabbing the collar of his jacket.

With a collective breath of relief at her safety, they steadied themselves on each other. When her gaze lifted up to look into his eyes, they both noticed the utter lack of space between them. ''You know, when I imagined you falling for me, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind,'' he grinned, savoring her close proximity for however long she would allow it.

''You could have warned me or something,'' she breathed out, but there was little anger in it.

The dim light of the moon and the candles in the cabin illuminated her features, accentuating the beauty of her emerald eyes and revealing a few freckles he hadn't noticed before. She seemed quite speechless, but the tightening grip on his collar told him enough. In response, he gradually lowered his hand and hook down to her waist, watching her reaction through his eyelashes while he did so. ''Most people say thank you after I've saved their life,'' he whispered, noticing that she made no move to put distance between them.

She hummed, eyes half closed, her tongue flicking over her lips as they slowly neared his. ''Does a pirate like you have much experience with that?''

It was like the most innocent stab to the heart; flirtatious and with no ill intentions to speak of, but nevertheless a direct jab at old wounds. The air between them turned cold in an instant as he pressed his lips together in a tight line, clenching his jaw at the memory of his failure to save Milah and Liam.

''No,'' he muttered, his voice unsteady. When he took a step back, it felt like miles between them.

Pulling away from the imminent kiss felt thoroughly self-destructive, but then again, that's what he was, always had been and always would be. She had just made him forget it for the briefest of moments. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Especially nothing good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

''Hook,'' she exhaled, fingers fumbling in the rush to put her sword away. She hadn't seen him in days, and felt a pang of guilt knowing he'd been right when he said aiming a weapon at him was usually her first greeting. But then again, he was walking through a jungle that harbored many dangers. Technically, the instinct to reach for a weapon shouldn't be taken personally. ''Where are you going?''

''Hopefully to wherever the Dark One is hiding,'' he replied coldly, his eyes barely even connecting with hers before he averted them. The lantern he was holding illuminated his profile, drawing Emma's attention to his furrowed brow and clenched jaw.

''Oh, right, yeah. That's why you're here,'' she said, realizing it had probably been a stupid question. It was the entire reason he was in Neverland in the first place. Besides, it wasn't like he'd be here because of her. It was days ago that he'd showed her around his ship, a tour that had eventually resulted in their lips mere inches away from meeting, until he pulled back. It seemed like he'd been actively avoiding her ever since.

''Aye.'' The awkward tension created by his short replies made her wish for his usual innuendos. When she'd jokingly asked him about his experience with saving people, the last thing she'd expected was that it would create this ravine of misunderstanding and uneasiness between them.

''Hook,'' she called out when he turned around to continue down his path, but it was met with no reaction at all. ''Killian.'' His real name, however, made him reluctantly halt his motion. She couldn't see his face from this angle, but she knew it was now or never. ''I'm sorry for what I said the other day, I-''

''Swan, don't,'' he warned in a grave voice, turning his head ever so slightly to shoot her a glaring look.

She shook her head resolutely, continuing despite his words. ''No, I've been meaning to apologize and-''

''It's not your fault,'' he interrupted, setting his lantern down on a big rock when he turned around to face her. ''It's mine. I shouldn't have made you believe we could be more.'' His eyes were stormy, and the knuckles of his clenched fist at his side white. In that instance, there was little left of the overconfident pirate captain. What she saw instead was a broken, self-loathing soul. ''You deserve better than that.''

''Let me be the judge of that,'' she argued while taking a few steps towards him, for the first time deciding to be the one to narrow the distance between them.

''Swan, I destroy everything I touch... Milah, my brother Liam - It's my fault they're gone.'' He swallowed thickly and his eyes watered up slightly while she speechlessly took in the new information about his brother. Yet another tragedy in his life, but she refused to believe he was responsible for it. Why she did, she wasn't sure. Perhaps she simply trusted her gut when it came to him. ''And I just keep surviving, as if I'm cursed. There is no happy ending for me.''

''You're wrong,'' she said, and her tone left no room for argument. ''You're not doomed to be alone for the rest of your life. If that's what fate wants, then you just gotta punch back.'' While saying that, she also realized just how much that resonated with her. Being an orphan was the hand fate had dealt her, but she wouldn't let it define her. She couldn't bear to watch a kindred spirit lose that same fight. ''If you want this, us, to be something more, then I'm in. I just need to know that you are, too.''

A beat. His eyes gazing into hers as if they held everything he'd been looking for. She looked back at him with honesty and a sense of defiance against the rest of the world. But at the same time, she knew that she'd just put herself in a terribly vulnerable situation, and she was afraid that if he tried to hurt her now, he could.

He silenced those fears just as quickly as they came, closing the gap between them and capturing her lips with his. It started off slow and tentative, both of them navigating the unknown waters cautiously. But the tension that had been rising between them for too long took over, like a volcano erupting after years of holding down immense pressure. Her hands reached up to his hair, her fingers moving through the strands with a sense of urgency while their bodies swayed together like leaves in a gentle breeze. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss and making her simultaneously breathe him in and in desperate need of air.

When the lack of oxygen eventually forced them to pull away, her hands grabbed his collar and he rested his forehead against hers, both lost souls equally eager to remain in each other's presence, to keep feeling each other's touch, to not be alone anymore.

''That was-'' he exhaled, utterly out of breath.

''How we punched fate in the face,'' she finished, not even attempting to suppress the rebellious grin spreading on her face.

''Aye,'' he said with a short chuckle, ''Let's knock it out cold.''

/

That was the first.

/

''Is this really necessary? Where are we even going?'' she grumbled, wiping the sweat off her brow. They'd been walking uphill for a while now, and she still had no clue as to the reason why.

''I told you, love, it's a surprise.'' His dashing grin when he turned around was positively infuriating. And yet, it didn't keep her from grabbing his hand, which he offered to her to make the climb over a few particularly slippery rocks easier.

''I hate surprises,'' she complained, frowning when he chuckled softly. ''What's so funny?''

''Nothing. I'm just glad this trip is working already.''

''Working? I guess, if its purpose is to make me tired and question your sanity.''

''And for me to get to know you,'' he clarified with a joyful glow in his eyes, effectively rendering her unable to come up with a response. Suddenly the touch of his hand seemed overwhelmingly warm, and she was grateful he let go in order to continue walking. ''Now I know you don't like surprises. I'll keep that in mind next time.''

''Next time? That's an awful lot of confidence.''

''See, you're getting to know me as well.''

She scoffed and rolled her eyes good-naturedly, allowing those words to be the last for a little while. At least until they arrived at the top of a steep hill, which was apparently their destination.

''So, what the hell is up here that isn't somewhere more accessible?''

''A better view of the stars.'' He sat down on the grass, his hook motioning to the spot next to him. ''Come, sit.''

A part of her was reluctant, but the other part was affected by his enthusiasm, and soon enough the latter won the battle. After she sat down, he started talking about the patterns in the dark blue sky, and it was unexpectedly soothing. She barely even noticed the progression from leaning on her elbows to lying on her back.

''You know,'' she interjected after a while, shifting her gaze from the night sky to Killian - _Killian_... She liked the sound of that - , ''I've lived here my entire life, you don't really have to teach me about the constellations.''

''My apologies, love. You're absolutely right,'' he said with a smile, but it produced neither his dimples nor the crinkles at the corners of his eyes. ''I suppose I just enjoy talking about them.'' He looked away then, and guilt overtook her. She mentally slapped herself over the head, wishing she hadn't interrupted his tales. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again, eyes still averted but with a glimmer of light in them. ''Did you know every realm has different stars in its sky?''

''No. No, I didn't.'' She stared at him in wonder, never having learned that piece of information before. ''Why don't you tell me about those?''

So he did. He spoke of the stars in the Enchanted Forest, Wonderland, Agrabah and a handful of realms with names too complicated to remember. His descriptions were so clear that she could practically see the stars behind her closed eyelids. It awakened the life-long yearning for adventure in her, a desire that had been locked away for a long time due to the fact that she'd never get off this island anyway.

That made it bittersweet, but this time she listened to all of his stories with nothing but words of awe and encouragement.

The second kiss was longer and less desperate than the first; it wasn't an explosion of fireworks, but rather a journey, an examination of recently discovered treasures. Finding out what made the other reach for more, the taste they left on each other's lips, the way their bodies pressed together instinctively.

/

The third was giggly and sloppy while they hid from Tink behind a tree like a couple of teenagers. Their hands were all over each other's bodies, hers occasionally resting on his chest and his cupping the back of her head. It was constantly interrupted by fits of laughter, and continued again by chasing each other's lips impatiently.

''Come on, let's go to my place,'' she breathed out, strengthening the suggestion by moving a hand to his sleeve and tugging on it.

''That desperate for some privacy, love?'' he teased, willingly letting her guide him to her tree house. Once there, she went up first and he followed - It was while he was climbing the creaky ladder that he realized the trust she was putting in him by allowing him to be here at all. He wasn't taking that for granted.

When he stepped onto the wooden planks, she gestured at the small room they were now both standing in. ''Do you want a tour?'' she joked, and her smile spread when he let out a low chuckle. ''I guess it's only fair, since you showed me around your ship. Although, I guess this would take a lot less time.''

Despite the fact that she wasn't exactly serious about her offer and there were probably more enjoyable activities they could be doing, he decided to take a look around anyway. The place was pretty bare. There wasn't much luxury to be found, only some food, tools, weapons and clothes. But it was a solidly built tree house, and the hammock looked quite comfortable. He supposed she'd most likely never felt like she needed much more than that.

Suddenly, his eyes fell on a piece of fabric sticking out of a wooden box on the floor. It was white, or at least it looked like it used to be. Now it was covered in brown smudges, making it appear quite old. ''What's this?'' he asked, picking it up before noticing her name embroidered in purple on the wool.

''Oh, that's just my baby blanket,'' she answered. When he looked back at her, she seemed to consider keeping it at that, but eventually she added, ''It's the only thing that I have from… From my parents.''

He decided to forego a comment about her unexpected sentimentality, because at that moment a question that had crossed his mind a couple of times before popped back up. ''Swan, if you arrived here as a baby, how come you're twenty-seven years old now? Last I checked, it was kind of Neverland's thing, you know, not growing up.''

''Yeah, I know. I'm the only one who does, and I have no idea why. I've tried to find out, but it seems impossible,'' she said with a sigh of resignation, ''I kind of think giving up might be the best plan. I think I need to let go.''

''No, you don't,'' he protested immediately, knowing that wasn't what she really wanted. He could read her like an open book, after all. ''You'll figure it out.''

''You think so?'' There was hope in her voice, and a desperation to believe him.

''Aye. I have a feeling you're too stubborn not to.''

He'd rarely felt as accomplished as he did in this moment, when the proud smile spreading across her lips practically radiated light and warmth into his heart.

/

''You know, I may not be a fairy anymore…'' That made Emma look up from the fire she was creating, surprised by Tink mentioning her past unprovoked, something she so rarely did. She was standing there with her arms crossed in front of her, a teasing smile on her lips while she looked down at Emma. ''But I'm not blind. When were you planning to tell me about you and Hook?''

Okay, she had not expected that. Apparently they hadn't been as masterfully discreet as they thought. ''There is no me and Hook,'' she replied defensively, rising from her crouched position after a moment of dumbfounded silence on her part. Her friend returned the statement with a raised eyebrow in addition to her growing smirk, encouraging Emma to at least try to come up with a better answer. ''Okay, well, I don't know what there is, but I would've told you when I'd figured that out.''

''Hmm, of course,'' Tink replied sarcastically before promptly embracing her in a motherly hug. When she pulled back, Emma could see the pride in her eyes. ''I'm happy for you. It's a wonderful thing, being in-''

''Whoa, hold on,'' she hastily interrupted her, raising her hands as if to shield herself from what Tink was about to say. ''Whatever we have, it's not your favorite four-letter word just yet.''

''Yet? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were becoming an optimist.''

/

Much to Emma's delight, she'd discovered some things about her magic that made it appear a lot less daunting; the animals on the island seemed more drawn to her and flowers started spontaneously growing in her presence.

Today, an attempt to splash some water at Killian in the lake turned into a big wave, effectively drenching his entire body when all he'd wanted was to fill the water supply of his ship. He couldn't be angry at her though. Instead he encouraged her, spurred on by her enjoyment of her newfound powers.

It was already quite late when they arrived back at her tree house - the trip to the lake had ended up taking a lot more time than he'd originally planned, but all of it was spent in her company, so he wasn't one to complain.

The fourth was wet and heated, instead of chaste and sweet as it had been intended when he wanted to kiss her goodnight. She pulled him closer before he even got the chance to put any distance between them, nipping at his bottom lip before he started leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, her moans of pleasure spurring him on.

''You should do that more often,'' she breathed out against his shoulder blade, tracing her hand through his exposed chest hair in rough patterns.

''Bloody hell love, how do you expect me to ever leave?'' he asked, his voice husky and his hand and hook on her hips pulling her against his body.

''Don't,'' she demanded while she buried her face further into his shoulder, her alarmed tone hinting at an underlying fear. Although every part of him wanted every part of her right then and there, he moved his arms up to envelop her in a warm embrace, knowing that was what she truly needed in this moment.

(And perhaps so did he, for the cries of the lost boys seemed a lot less loud that night.)

/

The fifth was slow and tasted of salt. Perhaps it was better described as an embrace, a way to protect the other from both the world and their respective inner darkness. They used it to take away the demons that plagued them, if even just for a moment.

''Say it, Swan,'' he instructed, their foreheads pressed together while they steadied themselves on each other amidst the raging storm of their insecurities.

''Only if you say it first,'' she argued, the tears that glimmered in the corners of her eyes compelling him to obey her request. Anything to get her to believe those words about herself.

''I'm not nothing.'' It felt physically exhausting to say it, his throat strained as if it protested against the mantra that went against everything he'd ever thought about himself.

''I'm not nothing.'' Hearing the words from her made it more than worth it.

''You were never nothing.''

After that, they stopped counting their kisses. They realized they couldn't measure them, as the only number big enough to encompass all that they meant would be infinity.

/

For weeks they visited each other every day without fail, usually either at Emma's treehouse or the Jolly Roger. Slowly but surely, Killian's searches for the Dark One became scarce and far less thorough. He tried to not let the thought of that invade his mind too often, because anything becoming more important than his revenge would turn the entire world that he'd built for himself over multiple centuries completely upside down.

Surely, he would never let that happen.

Nothing of the sort was on his mind this particular night, however. As he trudged through the sand of the beach on his way back to the ship, all he could think about was the lingering taste of her eager lips on his as he flicked his tongue over them.

''Didn't find him yet, did you?'' The smug voice of the teenager rudely interrupted his musings, and it was only then that Killian realized just how blissful the past few weeks had been without him around.

''Glad to know that amuses you,'' he answered after a heavy sigh, turning around to face the boy who was now casually strolling over to him.

''Oh, it does.'' That trademark grin made an appearance again, unbearable as always. ''But more importantly, it means you're still here to do my dirty work.'' Apparently he was finally ready to reveal what being in his employ actually meant. It had almost slipped Killian's mind in the time he'd been here. Now all he could do was hope for a somewhat tolerable task, although that was probably asking for too much when it came to this demon trapped in bratty teenage form.

''What is it you want me to do?'' he huffed, furrowing his brow while his mind went through the possibilities. Disposing of an enemy? Retrieving some kind of magical object?

''It's simple, really. There's a woman living on this island, right next door to Tinkerbell.'' _Wait. He didn't mean-_ ''Her name is Emma Swan. Long blond hair, green eyes. Can't miss her.''

A mixture of distrust and worry coursed through his veins, awakening his fiercely protective side. Even learning that Pan knew of Emma's existence sent him on edge, and the fact that the job he had in mind for him had something to do with her left him incredibly restless. He couldn't show that though. From his choice of words, he got the feeling that the boy thought he'd never met her before. That was probably an advantage, so he'd like to keep it that way.

''Didn't you say there are only Lost Boys here?'' he retorted, using the remark to mask his actual reaction to the mention of Emma.

''Yes. I lied. I don't know why that would surprise you, Captain,'' he scoffed with a raised eyebrow, somehow seemingly amused and condescending at the same time. ''You didn't need to know yet. Back to the point; you'll act like you're attacking her, but without bringing her any harm. Give her time to escape. If she comes to warn me, I'll know you did your job.''

''May I ask what any of this theatrical nonsense accomplishes?'' Killian inquired with a raised eyebrow, genuinely puzzled by this odd task.

Pan brushed past him with a grin, raising his arms in a dramatic gesture when he turned back to him. ''It's what will make me immortal,'' he gloated, clearly quite pleased with himself, ''all I need is the heart of the Savior. It can't be taken forcefully, so I need to know that she trusts me before I try to convince her to hand it over of her own volition.''

Those few sentences were enough to make Killian's mind race at the speed of light with a million questions, speculations and realizations.

Immortal. Did that mean he was dying? Perhaps that was why he always ordered him to deliver magical items? It could be that he'd been using those to delay his demise, at least until he found something powerful enough to permanently stop it, something like…

The heart of the Savior. Where had he heard that title before? He scraped his brain for it, and soon he remembered the prophecy that was passed around by the denizens of the Enchanted Forest, nearly three decades ago, before the majority of them got swept up by the Evil Queen's curse; Their prisons would be time. No more happy endings. But the king and queen would send their daughter to safety, and on her twenty-eighth birthday, the Savior would return and the final battle would begin.

Realizing that a few seconds had gone by in silence, he decided to act like he'd simply been considering Pan's deal. ''And if I complete the task, my crew and I will be allowed to stay in Neverland?''

''Yes, if you do, you can continue on your quest for the Dark One.''

''Then consider it done.''


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Emma smoothed out her hammock and shifted the pillow to one side before collapsing onto the bed with a heavy sigh. It echoed in her mind while she settled into a comfortable position, mindlessly staring at the ceiling for a moment after doing so. Soon, she found her gaze drifting to the window of her tree house that displayed the moon in its full glory; its full, beautiful, incredibly boring glory.

Not for the first time, her frustration at the dull and endless cycle of life in Neverland was concentrated into an irrational anger at the bright white orb in the perpetual darkness of the sky. Her desire for the sun burned just as bright as the star itself did. But thinking about it was pointless; she'd never see it, because nothing about this place ever changed.

Except for its occupants, that is.

Her tongue flicked over her lips, trying to recapture the feeling of Killian's lips on hers. Closing her eyes, she recalled how his fingers had travelled through her hair today, pulling it out of the braid once it reached the piece of rope that secured it. The way he untangled it with utmost care, as if touching strands of pure gold. The corners of her mouth lifted up when the memory of his tongue sliding against hers invaded her mind, but dropped again when his ocean blue eyes flashed before her closed lids, an image that had created an unfamiliar feeling deep inside of her.

She sat up quickly, as if attempting to keep it from escaping her. The hammock swayed precariously as she swung her legs over the side. Another moment passed before she got up, wandering over to the railing of her small balcony. White knuckles gripped the wooden bar, and she chewed on her bottom lip, deeply concentrated on figuring out just what it was that he made her feel.

She didn't exactly get much time for it though, as she heard the creaking of stairs behind her. Swiftly turning around, she breathed a sigh of relief when the first thing she saw was the dark strands of hair that belonged to the person that had been on her mind, the one who now climbed through the hole in her treehouse.

''Hey, Killian, I thought you went back to-''

''Swan, listen to me, you're in danger,'' he interrupted her surprised greeting, moving towards her in a flash, and her smile promptly fell at his words and the worry in his eyes. ''Pan intends to use your heart to ensure his immortality. He ordered me to pretend to attack you, so that he could see that you trust him by going to warn him, and-''

''Whoa, slow down,'' she said in an attempt to halt his rambling and to take in everything he'd already said in the few seconds he'd been present. While she succeeded at the first part, the latter proved to be quite a bit more complicated. Furrowing her brow, she slowly repeated the news that perplexed her the most. ''Pan… wants to use my heart? To make him immortal?''

''Look, I know this seems crazy,'' he acknowledged, taking her hand in his, ''but it's the truth. He only told me because he doesn't know I'm on your side. Whatever he plans to do with your heart, it can't be good. He's a bloody demon!''

''Killian, I've known him my entire life. He's never done anything…'' She trailed off, unable to find an eloquent word, ''...demon-like. All he does is give lost children a place to live.''

''No, he doesn't. He's been lying to you since the moment you arrived on this infernal island,'' he countered, quickly laying it out for her, ''about everything; where you came from, your parents-''

''My parents?'' Her eyes widened and she gaped at him in silence for a couple of seconds, wheels in her head turning in an attempt to process that piece of information. With disbelief coloring her voice she asked, ''you mean, he knows who they are?''

''Aye, and so do I; Snow White and Prince Charming, the rightful rulers of the Enchanted Forest.'' At that absurd notion, she frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off before she got the chance to say anything. ''Hear me out, love. The Evil Queen cast a powerful curse, one that swept all the inhabitants of the land to a different realm. But before she could do so, it was prophesied that the daughter of the King and Queen would one day break the curse,'' he explained, looking her in the eye with so much sincerity that it almost overwhelmed her more than his next words. Almost. ''You are the Savior, Swan. Your parents didn't abandon you because they were afraid of your magic, they sent you away to give you your best chance.''

It felt like she'd just had a bucket of icy water splashed in her face. What he'd said contradicted everything she'd ever believed about her life, her parents and her future, and yet part of her wanted to latch onto every word. It would mean that her past wasn't as bleak as she thought, and the future could be even brighter. It would mean she could find her parents somehow, after all these years of wondering who they were and why they gave her up. It would mean there was a reason she'd ended up here, and more importantly, that she didn't have to be here for the rest of her life.

It seemed too good to be true. Her frantic thoughts were interrupted when she felt a gentle squeeze of her hand and looked back up at him. He'd been quiet for however long she'd been thinking, but there was a sense of urgency in the blue hues of his eyes. He wanted her to believe him so badly, and that desire was contagious, as well as strong enough to temper her pessimism.

''Okay, _if_ what you're saying is true,'' she began reluctantly, her voice barely above a hoarse whisper, ''I'm in danger and I have to find my parents... So what do we do? There's no way to get out of Neverland, not without some kind of portal.''

''Actually, there is,'' he claimed, a relieved smile playing on his lips when she made an effort to really take in everything he was telling her.''Pixie dust. We can use it to fly to the Enchanted Forest on the Jolly Roger, and then we can figure out whatever realm your parents reside in and how to get there. Does Tink still carry a bottle of that dust with her?''

''Yeah, she does. But she also said it doesn't work,'' she clarified, fiercely resistant against the possibility of false hope, ''she can't even use it to lift herself off the ground, let alone an entire ship.''

''But we've got your magic, love.''

''What makes you think _I_ could do it?'' she asked, raising her voice in frustration, because while it was obvious he believed in her, she didn't really know how to follow his example.

''I suspect there's a reason Pan waited this long to carry out his plan. In the prophecy, it was foretold that you would break the curse on your twenty-eighth birthday, which is soon. Perhaps it means that around this time, your powers are at their strongest.'' His explanation was logical and she could see that it took everything in his power to remain calm. It made her desperate to believe him, but at the same time, the thought of letting him down after he'd displayed this much confidence in her absolutely terrified her.

''Killian, I don't think I can-''

''Take a leap of faith,'' he interjected before she could get into all the reasons why she couldn't do this. ''All you have to do is trust me.'' His eyes softened while his thumb slowly rubbed circles onto the back of her hand in an attempt to sooth her. ''This will work.''

Emma averted her eyes, but she could feel herself start to nod slowly, almost as if her mind didn't have a say in it. In her heart, she knew she did trust him. He'd given her no reason not to. Perhaps this was her way of rejecting her own tendency to see the worst in people.

She chewed on her lip for a moment before a realization suddenly dawned on her. Her eyes shot back up at him, causing him to raise a questioning eyebrow. ''Wait, if we do leave, you'd never be able to come back here to kill Rumplestiltskin... You'd really give up your revenge for me?''

''Aye. It's not what's most important to me anymore,'' he declared in a soft voice, staring back at her with an ocean of adoration, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. ''You are.''

A tremendous amount of of that undefined feeling from earlier rushed through her veins, and when she put her lips to his in a tender kiss, it manifested itself in the taste of harmony, stability and belonging.

It was the feeling of coming home.

/

It was relatively easy to convince Tink to join them; all she needed to hear was an exit plan and she was practically ready to go. Neither she nor Emma had much to pack, after all. The three of them boarded the ship quickly and quietly, avoiding suspicion at all cost. They stood on the quarterdeck, Killian at the helm, while the crew worked hard to get the Jolly Roger ready to leave the shore.

''All hands prepare to set sail. Make speed!'' he instructed his men, before lowering his voice to give Emma a nod and a gentle smile. ''It's time for you to see the sun.''

She felt her heart swell with happiness at the thought of that possibility, as well as the knowledge that he really listened to her. She'd only mentioned that desire once, in the form of an offhand comment, and yet he remembered. He'd said he wanted to get to know her, and it appeared he truly did.

''Mermaids to starboard!'' She was promptly interrupted in her musings by a crewman with a bright red hat. She looked back at Killian with a worried expression, hearing him curse under his breath and seeing him grip the helm tighter.

''Pan must have tipped them off to our location,'' he theorized with a distressed sigh, ''they're probably still furious that I killed one of them.''

Realization dawned on her and she frowned, adding, ''and that I invaded their territory to get you out of there.''

He clenched his jaw, his gaze shifting to the rapidly approaching mermaids. ''Ready the cannons!'' While he barked out the orders for the crew, Emma moved to the railing to look down at the water and the danger closing in on them.

She then looked at her hands, knowing what they were capable of. She'd never used her magic to harm anyone before, though. She wasn't sure she even could. But when she clenched her hands into fists and screwed her eyes shut, she saw who she would be doing it for. The two people who mattered most to her in the world were right there with her, and they were in danger. She had to protect them, no matter the cost.

That decision awakened the already familiar powers inside of her, but it felt different from any other time. It started low in her stomach, a heated sensation that quickly started travelling through the rest of her body. It was vicious, relentless, rushing through her veins with unprecedented strength. The feeling gathered itself in her hands, which began to shake with the unexpected weight of it.

She was ready.

Her eyes flew open and immediately focused on the threat in front of her. A blinding light shot out of her palms, almost knocking her back with the force of the impact. But she stood her ground, assuming a balanced stance. The pained screeches of a couple of mermaids told her she succeeded, which spurred her on. With the blasts of the cannons ringing in her ears, she fired her magic for a second time, and a third, until her focus was broken by the sound of some kind of horn.

However, the creatures were all fleeing, so it seemed like the immediate danger was gone. But being the pessimist that she was, she couldn't quite believe that. The ominous sound still echoed in her ears, and when she looked around, it was clear she wasn't the only one who'd heard it. Several men were still covering their ears with their hands, while others exchanged looks of confusion and unease.

The price of using so much of her magic at once was finally catching up with her, and she suddenly felt rather light-headed. She stumbled on her feet for a second before steadying herself with her hands on the railing.

''You alright?'' She heard from her left, and she looked up to see Tink staring at her with a worried frown.

''Yeah, I'm fine,'' she huffed. It was a partial lie, because she'd never felt this dizzy before in her life, but at the same time, she could feel it fading already. She'd be fine soon enough. Besides, she suspected there were more urgent things to worry about. ''I was just wondering what that sound was.''

Tink shrugged, obviously just as puzzled by it as she was. They didn't have much time to ponder on it. Seemingly out of nowhere, the wind started picking up. Lightning flashes lit up the sky that was rapidly filling with gathering clouds, followed by loud crashes of thunder that startled everyone.

''Where the hell did this storm come from?'' Emma had to shout to make herself heard above the deafening noises.

''The mermaids must have called it!'' Killian responded at an equally high volume, but with a strained voice as he was throwing all of his strength into keeping the ship on a somewhat steady course. Rain began to beat down on them, buckets of water falling from the sky as if it had suddenly decided it was thoroughly pissed off at them.

''Emma, we need to get out of here before the storm worsens,'' he said, shifting his gaze to her only for a mere second, clearly afraid to divert his attention away from the helm. ''Get closer to the sails and use your magic, love. You can do it.''

She hesitated for a moment, but then pushed herself away from the railing, rushing past him to get to the deck, Tink in tow. They stopped in front of the main mast, and she looked up at it with a deep frown, wondering how the hell she was ever gonna be able to lift this ship into the air. She could barely even keep her balance at the moment, as the aggressive waves were rocking the ship back and forth.

Tink handed her the vial of pixie dust that had been tied to her necklace, but shot her a sceptical look. ''I don't know if this is gonna work.''

''Not helpful, Tink.''

''Sorry, just…'' she paused, gesturing vaguely at the dust, ''believe in it, I guess.''

Emma raised her eyebrows in frustration, looking down at the tiny vial of dark powder that would supposedly make an entire ship and its crew lift off the water and cross realms. And she was supposed to somehow set that into motion. _Well, fuck._

With an exasperated sigh, she pulled the cork out and almost instantly, the dust started lighting up in bright green. That had to be a good sign, at least. She closed her eyes, intending to channel all of her magic into the task, and waited for the feeling of being alleviated from the water.

Instead, she saw a series of bright flashes, causing her to stumble backwards.

 _A woman with a black pixie cut in a room filled with children. Snow. A man with a scar on his chin in a bed with sheets as white as the walls. Charming. A woman with a wolfish grin carrying a couple of glasses on a tray. Red. A man using a chisel to shape the head of a wooden rocking horse. Gepetto._

''Emma, what's wrong?'' Tink's hands were on her shoulders, steadying her as her legs trembled beneath her. She tried to open her eyes, to get away from the draining sensation, but ultimately failed while the images and names continued to flicker behind her eyelids.

 _A man with an umbrella, walking through a street with a spotted dog. Jiminy. A woman in a dark room with messy hair and her knees pulled up to her chest. Belle. A short man with a permanent frown. Grumpy._

''I… I don't know, I keep seeing houses and streets and people and names,'' she stuttered her way through the sentence, ''I think they're all in… some sort of town,'' _\- a flash of a green sign with white letters -_ ''Storybrooke.''

 _A woman with bright red lipstick looking at her reflection in the mirror. Regina. An old man in a white robe, injecting a needle into someone's arm. Victor. A girl stroking a hand over her round belly. Cinderella. A blonde woman staring at a painting of a dog. Abigail._

There was a moment of silence before Tink let out a small gasp of understanding. ''Pixie dust can also be used to show you where you're destined to go. I think you accidentally activated that, instead of the ability to fly.''

 _A man with long hair leaning on a cane, standing at the back of a room filled with various peculiar items. Rumplestiltskin._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Rumplestiltskin. The Dark One. The Crocodile. The man Killian had spent centuries trying to kill.

According to the pixie dust, he was in the same town as her parents. For someone wanting revenge on him, that place being their destination would be a huge convenience. In fact, it felt far too convenient to be a coincidence.

Her eyes widened at the realization and her sharp intake of breath echoed in a loud crash of thunder. The dust hadn't left the bottle during the odd procedure she'd just experienced with it, so she handed it over to Tink and stormed past her, climbing the staircase to the helm two steps at a time.

''Emma? Emma, where are you going?'' She barely even heard her friend's voice behind her through the roaring of the wind and the fury racing through her veins.

''Did you know?'' she yelled at Killian when she stopped next to him.

''Know what, Swan?'' he grunted, furrowing his brow while he struggled to hold on to the helm with all his might. ''What happened, didn't it work?''

''That's all you care about, isn't it?'' Several drops of rain flew from his hair when he turned his head to her, bewilderment running rampant in his blue eyes. Emma clenched a fist at her side, not lowering her voice in the slightest when she continued, ''Were you just using me for my magic the entire time? To get to Storybrooke so that you can get your precious revenge on Rumpelstiltskin?''

''Storybrooke?'' he said, puzzled by the name. His grip on the helm slackened when the realization of what she'd just told him set in. Fortunately for everyone on the ship, Tink rushed in to take his place and kept the wheel from spinning out of control when he left the helm to approach Emma. ''That's where he is?''

He was genuinely surprised. Her ability to tell sincerity from dishonesty allowed her to see it in the blue of his eyes and to hear it in the tone of his voice. She was completely taken aback by it, unsure of how to react.

''You didn't know,'' she breathed out, articulating her thoughts in an attempt to make sense of them. But now he did know, and she was entirely to blame. Her eyes widened and shot back up to look into his, terrified of what he might do with this information. ''Killian, you have to promise me that you won't go after him!''

That hit a nerve, and a sensitive one at that. His brows snapped together and he ground his teeth. ''How can you even think that I would ever do that?'' he all but snarled, taking a step closer and raising his affronted voice as he went on, ''I gave up my centuries-old quest for you! I'm risking my life right now to save you!'' His exploding anger and her own following guilt hit her like the cold water that the dark clouds threw down on her. The increasingly large waves were throwing the ship around, like a cat playing with its prey before devouring it whole. Killian's eyes glistened as they bore into her, and his voice started breaking halfway through his next sentence. ''So why, after everything, do you still think of me as a selfish pirate who only cares about himself?

''Because why would anyone ever sacrifice anything for me?'' she shouted back, fighting unshed tears as he glared at her, his jaw still set but the need for an explanation visible in his eyes. She wanted to look away, but her gaze was bound to the awful sight of seeing him hurt because of her. Still, she didn't lower her voice as she clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms. ''How can you expect me to believe that when the very first thing I've known in my life was abandonment?''

''Emma-'' He averted his eyes, uncertain of what to say. He reached for her hand, but reconsidered it when he saw her flinch at his movement. The creases in his forehead deepened while he prepared himself for the next outburst.

''I never thought I'd have this and now that I do, I'm screwing it all up!'' she cried out, finally shedding the tears she'd been fighting for far longer than she would ever admit, ''I always knew it wouldn't last, I just fooled myself into believing it would. Because ever since you came into my life I've been too scared to face what I know will happen in the end. And I still don't want to, because…'' After her ramble, her breath hitched in her throat and flashes of lightning illuminated both the tears in his eyes and the ones rolling down her cheeks when she forced herself to say it out loud. ''I can't lose you.''

''You won't,'' he replied immediately, his voice regaining its steadiness. The Jolly Roger creaked and groaned after a particularly vicious wave, and he caught Emma by the arm when she lost her balance. When they straightened up, their faces now mere inches apart, he continued, ''I'm in this for the long haul. You have to believe me when I say I won't put myself in harm's way for revenge, not anymore. I wasn't lying when I said I'd give it up for you.''

She stared at him with wide eyes, subconsciously refusing to blink as if she was afraid to miss a split second of this moment. ''You really mean that?'' she asked, and she sounded far more out of breath than she'd anticipated. It was only then that she realized she'd really needed to hear those words from him, because she simply wasn't capable of believing them based on blind faith.

''When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it…'' His voice was low and husky, and she didn't realize how captivated she'd been by the perpetual seas of deep blue that overtook his eyes until she was drowning in them. ''It will not be because of any trickery.'' In that instant, she swore she could hear the beating of her own heart even over the roaring thunder. ''It will be because you want me.''

Before their next breath, their lips were already connected. She'd moved in first, her eyes shut tight while closing the gap between them. He cautiously lifted his hand up, cupping her cheek while he let her take the lead in regards to the kiss. Her lips trembled ever so slightly against his while she put her hand over the left side of his chest, finding a heartbeat that matched her own. It was fast but steady, and every exterior distraction faded away, until even the rain, waves, wind, thunder and lightning all seemed to have disappeared completely.

When they pulled back, they found that they actually had.

''What happened?'' Emma asked, breathlessly looking around at the still water and the clear sky.

''I think I know,'' Tink replied suddenly, letting go of the helm to join them. ''The mermaids called the storm, but your arguing must have worsened it.''

Emma stared at her with wide eyes for a couple of seconds, stammering slightly before pulling away from Killian. ''I'm sorry, it was my fault.'' Her gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them before coming to rest on the wooden planks. ''I didn't want to hurt you, I was just afraid that-''

He closed the distance between them and put his hand on her upper arm. ''It's okay, Swan.'' A gentle squeeze and a soft smile. ''You're forgiven.''

Meanwhile, Tink was nervously looking at the horizon and turned back to them as worry overtook her face. ''Hey, I'd hate to break this up, but I doubt the mermaids and Pan will stay away for long once word spreads that the storm didn't stop us.''

''Right,'' Emma replied hastily before scrunching up her face and sucking the air between her teeth. ''Just one problem; I still don't know how to use the pixie dust to make the ship fly. You have to help me, Tink.''

''Me?'' The way her eyebrows shot up and the utter disbelief in her voice would have been quite comical under different circumstances. ''I can't get it to work at all.''

''Yes, you can,'' Killian argued, countering her doubt with a boatload of faith. ''All you have to do is believe.''

''Yeah, but that's the problem,'' she scoffed, looking at the two of them as if their suggestion was utterly insane, ''The reason I even lost my wings in the first place was because people stopped believing in me.''

''I believe in you,'' Emma stated matter-of-factly as soon as she'd finished the sentence.

''So do I,'' he followed suit, flashing Tink a lopsided grin, ''now it's your turn.''

The former fairy drew in a sharp breath and looked more than ready to continue arguing with them. But between the sincerity in both their eyes, she ultimately decided against it. So instead, she sighed and pressed her lips together, taking the vial in her hand. Looking up through her lashes, she waited for Emma to step in front of her, the pixie dust now between them.

They closed their eyes almost simultaneously, turning the dust a bright shade of green in a matter of seconds. When they looked up again it had already floated to the main mast, settling on the white of the sails. Then, it took effect. Without so much as a noise, the heavy ship was lifted off the waves, leaving the water gracefully.

Tink turned to Emma, practically beaming at her. ''We did it!''

She responded with a wide grin and a tight hug, immensely proud of her friend, not just for making the pixie dust work, but for doing what she'd denied herself for years; believing in herself.

As they soared through the sky, Emma joined Killian at the helm, and when her mouth curved into a smile and the corners of his eyes crinkled, she could feel a whole new part of the journey starting.

/

The first time she saw the sun was quite different from the way it had played out in her head a million times over. At first, she couldn't even look at it and had to screw her eyes shut at the impossibly bright light. Even after a few minutes, she could only glance at it through squinted eyes.

''That's not gonna change, you know.''

''What?'' Emma turned her gaze away from the sky, pulled away from her musings by Tink, who was smiling at her while she joined her at the railing. They both leaned on their elbows, letting those carry their weight while they looked out over the calm ocean the ship was smoothly gliding through.

''You can't really look directly into it, it's just too bright,'' she explained, motioning at the sun. Emma hummed and nodded in response, shifting her eyes to the water below them instead. She went quiet, which - of course - Tink would never let go unnoticed. Her brows drew together while she stared at her friend, speaking in a slower, more tentative voice than before. ''So... not everything you were hoping for?''

''Oh, no, that's not it,'' she replied hastily, forcing a smile, ''I was just... thinking. It's not like seeing the sun wasn't the only reason I always wanted to leave Neverland.'' She paused and looked away again, deciding to focus on one of the simple reasons for now. ''I can't wait to get to some land. I'm curious to see how different it is.''

''You've thought about it a lot, huh?'' It took Emma less than a split second to realize something was off, so while Tink averted her eyes, she focused hers on her friend, wordlessly nudging her to specify her question. ''Leaving Neverland.''

She let out something between a scoff and a chuckle, recounting just how different her life had become over the past few weeks. ''Yeah. I just never thought it would actually happen. Definitely hadn't imagined it would be on a pirate ship, fleeing from Pan - who's apparently a bad guy - to find my royal parents so that I can break a curse in a town called Storybrooke.''

Tink couldn't help but laugh at that. After all, those elements really did sound pretty ridiculous when they were crammed into one sentence that was supposed to make actual sense. But her smile dropped after a moment. ''About that… I know the reason you've never called me Mom is because I insisted on just being more of a friend, but we- I…'' she stammered, searching for the right words to express her thoughts, ''I just wanted to know if-''

So that was what this was about.

''Hey,'' Emma interrupted her, halting her concerned ramble by grabbing her hands while looking her deep in the eye, ''don't worry, none of this is gonna change anything between us. Yes, I really want to find my parents, but that doesn't mean you'll ever be less important to me.'' The corners of her mouth lifted up ever so slightly. ''We're family. We stick together, whether we like it or not.''

Having said that, she proved her point by pulling Tink into a hug, one that was gratefully accepted. Her friend squeezed just a little tighter before she let go, the smile on her face now completely genuine. ''You're right.''

''Always am,'' she boasted with a cocky grin.

''And you own it, too. I raised you well.''

/

Their journey led them to the part of the Enchanted Forest that had been untouched by the curse. Therefore, the inhabitants were still living there. More importantly, it was where Killian knew of someone who had the information they needed; Cora was more familiar with Regina's plans than anyone else. When he'd worked for her, she'd told him a thing or two; time would be frozen, both for the denizens in the protected part of the Enchanted Forest and for those that had been transported to the other realm, until the Savior broke the curse.

At the time, he hadn't cared much about any of it. After all, he believed Rumplestiltskin to be in Neverland, which was all that mattered to him back then. But now he needed a crucial piece of information; the exact realm Emma's parents currently resided in. Just knowing the name of the town wasn't gonna cut it.

Fortunately, once he'd found Cora, extracting the information proved to be a rather effortless task, mainly because she had no qualms sharing it, as she didn't think anything he was doing conflicted with her plans. He was also grateful she didn't seem interested enough in him to bother asking questions in return. She was probably busy planning a meeting with her daughter, seeing as it was supposedly almost time for the curse to be broken - never knowing the one who had to break it was just a few miles away.

Even though Emma had protested against letting him go alone, he'd talked her into staying on the Jolly Roger. He didn't trust Cora one bit; she was an incredibly powerful and dangerous sorceress. There was absolutely no way he'd let her anywhere near Emma. So he'd left the ship on his own, asking for directions from people who looked aghast at his search for someone as feared as Cora, but often helped him anyway.

He'd found his way back without much trouble after acquiring the information, and was now sitting at his desk in the captain's quarters, charting a course to the nearest port. He knew of only one available way to travel between worlds; by creating a portal with a magic bean. It should be possible to find someone willing to trade or sell one at the harbor nearby.

That day, he'd learned that the realm they needed to get to was the Land Without Magic - the name was a bit on the nose, if you asked him, but that was a minor detail. More concerning was the fact that it seemed to not so subtly imply that Emma wouldn't be able to use her magic over there. Neither of them had ever had much of a clue as to how she would break the curse, but even less so now. Nevertheless, he'd told her they'd figure it out once they got there, although he himself seemed to believe that a fair bit less than she did.

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing at the constant obstacles in their way. Suddenly, he felt two hands on his shoulders and flinched at the unexpected contact.

''Hello, Captain.'' The whisper in his ear sent a welcome shiver down his spine. He turned in his seat to face her, letting out an involuntary chuckle.

''It's bad form, love, sneaking up on a man like that.''

Emma raised an eyebrow and smirked at him before feigning an arrogant expression and tone. ''I think the appropriate response to seeing me is something along the lines of 'Good evening your highness, my deepest gratitude for blessing me with your royal presence.''''.

''Ah, of course, how could I forget?'' He reached up to cup her cheek, smiling into the kiss when she willingly let him pull her down to his lips. Afterwards, she sat down sideways on his lap, wrapping one arm around his neck. Killian was pleasantly surprised by the way she insisted on this close proximity. He definitely wasn't one to complain. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and asked, ''that comfortable with your recently discovered title already?''

''Nah,'' she replied with a resolute shake of her head, and he found himself adoring the way she scrunched up her nose like that. ''It sounds weird, me being a princess.''

He hummed in disagreement. ''Not to me,'' he protested in a low voice, looking down at his fingers as they traced over her leg until his hand came to rest on her hip. He then shifted his eyes back to her, enjoying the sight of her being utterly captivated by his motions and words. ''I've no trouble imagining you in a beautiful red gown, stealing the show at a ball.''

She chuckled, leaning into him slightly further with fluttering eyelashes and a flick of her tongue over her lips. ''That's just 'cause you want to see me in something tight.''

He grinned at her assessment and gave her a once-over that was anything but subtle. He waggled his eyebrows as he returned her longing stare. ''What gave you that impression, my princess?''

''Oh, nothing in particular.'' She shrugged in fake ignorance, her thick braid falling off her shoulder in the process.

''Well, while you may be right,'' he whispered, moving his left arm up to support her back with the brace of his hook, ''that's not the only reason.'' The volume of his voice returned to normal, although it sounded more wistful than ever. There was a certain melancholy in knowing he couldn't give her everything she should have had as a princess. So it was with a somber smile that he continued, ''I have a feeling you might really enjoy a good waltz.''

She seemed equally confused by his sudden shift in attitude as by what he said, although she only verbally acknowledged the last one. ''A good what now?''

''It's a certain type of dance.'' Suddenly he realized that while he couldn't possibly recreate a proper royal ball, he could still give her a taste of what that must have been like for her, had she grown up in a palace. ''Here, let me show you,'' he said, helping her stand. A corner of his mouth lifted at the surprise and intrigue coloring her features while he placed her left hand on his shoulder. After doing so, he used his own right hand to first guide hers to take his hook and then let it rest on her hip. When she had tentatively wrapped her fingers around the metal, she looked back up at him, her gaze trailing from his eyes to his lips and back. A warm smile spread on his face at the sight of that. ''There's only one rule; pick a partner who knows what he's doing.''

It took her a few seconds to come up with anything witty to comment, something that usually came to her like a reflex. ''But I only have you,'' she eventually pouted, visibly fighting the smile tugging at her lips.

She ultimately lost that fight when he said, ''Quit mocking me, Swan.''

''Never.''

But she followed him as he took the first steps, allowing him to show her the basics of the dance. She did so almost without fault, falling into the rhythm of the waltz in a matter of minutes. They might not have had any musical instruments for an occasion such as this one, but the soft tune he began humming and the waves lapping at the ship created something akin to the appropriate kind of music, if not even more beautiful. As he complimented her on being a natural, the light of the setting sun that filtered through the small windows made her green eyes shine in colors he'd never even known existed.

Eventually their dance led them to the bed, as they continued it in a different way. But in essence, it was not unlike before; the same rhythm, slow and balanced, switching between who took the lead every now and then. The same prolonged gazes and separations, only to come closer together again. But most importantly, the same emotions; adoration and burning desire.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Emma paced back and forth over the deck of the ship. The weather that morning was a lot more pleasant than her mood; while it was sunny and practically windstill, she was anxious and impatient. Waiting for Killian to finish the negotiation over a magic bean was taking forever. He'd invited the man who was offering the rare object to the captain's quarters and they'd been in there for about thirty minutes now.

Or at least, that was what it felt like to her. She hated not being able to help. This was her quest, her search for her parents, and yet she was out here twiddling her thumbs and he was in there doing all the work.

Apart from her footsteps on the wooden planks, everything about the Jolly Roger was eerily quiet. Everyone else had gone into town the moment they arrived at the docks. Although Tink had invited her along, she'd declined her offer, explaining that she wanted to hear whether the business transaction was successful as soon as it was done.

She looked heavenward and threw her head back with a sigh, which turned out to not be a good combination of actions, and she cursed herself for once again forgetting to not look directly into the sun. She really needed to get the hang of that eventually. Her eyes would thank her for it.

Finally her ears caught the sound of a door unlocking. She whisked around, catching the last couple of sentences spoken by the merchant, who looked quite satisfied. ''Pleasure doing business with you,'' he said to Killian over his shoulder, ''be ready for the exchange at dawn.''

As he walked over the gangplank to depart the ship, Emma made her way down the stairs, almost tripping over them in her rush. Obviously Killian could hear her coming from a mile away, because he turned around just as she was nearing him, and shifted his gaze from the back of the man to her face.

''Swan,'' he said, surprise ringing through his voice, ''didn't you want to go see the town with Tink?''

''You did it?''

A chuckle escaped his lips at her impatient bluntness. ''Aye, he'll deliver the bean to us at the break of dawn.''

A wave of relief washed over her, and she passed it on by wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him into an embrace. Pressing a smile against his shoulder blade, she muttered an elated thank you.

''Of course, love,'' he replied with a kiss to the crown of her head. He lingered in the tight hug for a few moments longer than usual before breaking the silence. ''Now that we have time, how about we try to find a seamstress who can make you some new clothes? I think you've been wearing these for long enough.''

''Says the pirate with the centuries-old coat,'' she snorted, but her grin didn't quite reach her eyes. Something was off about him. She could feel it.

''Fair point,'' he acknowledged, reflecting that same somber half-smile she'd just given him. ''Still, I might not know what the fashion sense is like in the realm we're headed to, but that doesn't mean I can't try to ensure your comfort.''

''Wait, shouldn't you save the money to pay that man for the magic bean?'' she argued, stopping him from turning to the gangplank by grabbing his sleeve. Maybe he resented the amount of money he'd spent on granting her wish and was trying to cover it up by buying her generous gifts. Maybe that was why her gut was telling her he was acting strange. ''You told me how rare and valuable they are…''

He averted his eyes, humming in verification of her statement. Seeing her raise her eyebrows by way of asking for clarification, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, took a shallow breath and smiled gently, despite the solemn tone of his voice. ''So valuable, actually, that he didn't ask for gold or treasure.''

It took her less than a split second to figure it out. Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. ''You traded your ship for me?'' she exhaled, awe taking over her features.

''Aye.''

One word and a slow nod was all it took to stop time. Her heart started beating against her ribcage with unprecedented strength, the sound echoing in her entire body. She had no idea what to say or how to thank him, no clue as to how she should react to this unbelievable news.

His price to pay for getting her home was giving up his.

When that thought crossed her mind, it utterly overwhelmed her. So without further thought, she went to the one place she could always go; she cupped the back of his head to guide his lips to hers. When they connected, he seemed to breathe out into the open-mouthed kiss, a weight lifted off his shoulders. She was convinced he had to feel just as weightless as she did right then. Gravity would have to wait its turn to get its grip on her, because in that moment, he was the only force of attraction that had any effect on her.

/

As they strolled through the streets, Killian glanced over at Emma, who was adjusting the lacey sleeves of her blouse. An amused smile played on his lips at the memory of how she'd completely forgone the option of purchasing a corset and a dress. He'd suggested it, seeing as that was the typical fashion for women in this realm, but she'd fallen hard for something quite different; a dark blue leather vest that included a rusty belt with a sheath for a sword. It only had to be adjusted a tad by the seamstress to fit her figure, and after they found a white blouse to wear under it, a pair of dark grey trousers and black knee-high boots, her outfit was complete.

Now, on her first trip on the soil of this realm, she had a million and one questions, and seemed intent on asking every last one of them. Fortunately, he didn't mind answering them, quite the opposite actually. So he explained about why a great deal of men flocked to one building, the tavern - for alcohol, of course. She laughed and demanded a swig of his rum. He pointed out the stark differences between her fashion style and that of most of the women they encountered. She smiled and held her head just a little higher, flipping her partly braided ponytail over her shoulder. He showed her the solid brick the houses were made of, more secure than a tree house could ever be. She ran her hand over the stone, letting out a breath she'd been holding as if she'd been afraid to break it despite what he'd said about its solidity. In that moment, he wondered if she desired something as stable as those four walls and a roof; something that could, with a lot of work and dedication, last forever. But more importantly, if she even believed something like that could exist for her.

She was already pulling him towards the next discovery that caught her attention before he could ponder on that thought for long. When the thing that caught her eye came clearly in sight after they rounded a corner, Emma gasped. ''What is that?''

Killian chuckled, his somber thoughts from moments before drowned in his endlessly enjoyment of her enthusiasm and wonder. ''It's called a horse,'' he explained, looking over her shoulder at the muscled workhorse pulling a cart filled with logs. Obviously, she'd never seen an animal as tall as this one before. The biggest mammals in Neverland were wild boars, which were rather small in comparison. ''They're strong enough to do a lot of the labor that people find strenuous, like ploughing fields and transporting heavy cargo, like this one's doing. It can also carry humans on its back, which is called riding.''

''And anyone could just do that?''

''Well, not exactly. You do need to be able to command the horse to speed up, slow down or go in a different direction.'' When he saw the disappointment crossing her face, he quickly added, ''or… you could let someone else steer and take a back seat.''

''Are you saying…?''

''Aye,'' he nodded, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of lips, ''let's go find ourselves a horse to hire.''

A farmer near the outskirts of the town was willing to let them do just that. After Killian had paid him the appropriate amount of doubloons, he turned around to see Emma staring at the sturdy animal with lush fields of wonder in her eyes.

''Go on, introduce yourself,'' he urged, wandering over to the two of them to stroke his hand over the animal's shoulder. ''The horse has to trust you. Petting it on the head could startle it, so start here,'' he instructed, laying his palm on the back of her hand, guiding it to the same spot he'd already touched. Her face lit up at the feeling of the soft hair beneath her fingertips, and soon she was laughing as the horse nibbled on the tips of her ponytail.

Meanwhile, Killian saddled the horse and informed Emma of it's name; Cinnamon. Once outside of the small stable, he mounted the horse and extended his hand to her, helping her up so she could sit behind him. Her hands wrapped around his body as she tried to keep her balance when the horse took its first steps, but she got the hang of it pretty quickly; when they eventually tried cantering, she did hold on tighter, but all he saw when he looked back at her was her radiant smile.

It was still there when they dismounted the horse after an exhilarating gallop and she breathlessly thanked him.

''Well, I had a feeling you would like it,'' he said, tying Cinnamon's reigns to a tree branch. Shifting his attention back to her after having done that, he found her standing a bit further up the hill. When he followed her, he saw why; this spot had the perfect view of the town below.

The sunlight filtered through her lashes when her eyes met his. ''Do you think they'll have horses in the other realm?''

''Perhaps,'' he answered, never having thought about that himself, ''they're quite common here. You didn't see any during your vision?'' After their argument during the storm in Neverland, she'd explained that the pixie dust had shown her a vision, but she hadn't mentioned anything as specific as horses.

''No, just people and names. And parts of the town, like streets and buildings,'' she repeated, studying the houses that appeared positively minuscule from where they were standing. ''It looked pretty different from this one.'' Suddenly a chuckle escaped her lips, though it was not a joyful one.

''What is it?''

''We have no clue what we're doing, do we?'' she said in something that more closely resembled a statement than a question, ''I mean, none of us have any idea what to expect, how that realm works, what dangers there could be, how to break the curse-''

''How many times do I have to tell you, love?'' he interjected, cutting off her worried ramble. Truthfully, he'd never been one for optimistic pep talks, but for her he was always willing to make an exception. ''We'll find a way. Together.''

From what he could tell, she was debating whether or not to believe that, but she reached for his hand nonetheless and plastered on a smile. ''You think we could take Cinnamon with us?'' she joked, and when laughter came from his lips in response, her smile no longer looked forced.

/

Killian opened and closed a few drawers of his desk, satisfied only when he found what he was looking for. He pulled his chair out and sat down, lighting up a candle before leaning on his forearms to get a good look at the thin pieces of white rope he'd picked out. This could turn out to be a bit of a challenge, considering he had to work with his metal appendage.

''What's gonna happen to the crew?'' Emma wondered aloud from behind him, sitting cross-legged on the bed.

First course of action; cross the ropes over each other. Easy enough.

He didn't turn around, too focused on the task at hand. ''Well, the future owner is a pirate as well, so I heard most of them wanted to keep working on the Jolly Roger, under his command.'' His nonchalant shrug didn't quite mask his melancholy. '''A pirate's life is forever' and all that.''

He crossed them over a second time.

The hum he heard was hard to read, which he supposed was probably her intention. He shouldn't have brought that up. Clenching his jaw, he silently cursed himself over his inability to stop making mistakes like these. How could he expect her to truly trust him when he clearly wasn't comfortable yet with the idea of letting his life as a pirate go? After multiple centuries, his new mindset was a huge change, and not one that could happen overnight, yet he still felt guilty for burdening Emma with his struggle. She didn't deserve to be dragged into it.

''What are you doing?'' She was right here with him, so for now he buried his self-loathing thoughts, putting them away for when she wouldn't have to witness them.

He finished by holding one piece of rope down with his hook and pulling at the other. This was the trickiest part due to the delicate rope, but he succeeded nevertheless.

''Here, take a look,'' he said, satisfied with the result, as he walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. In return, she shifted closer to him when he held up the knot for her to see clearly. ''It's called a Reef Knot or Hercules Knot, and it's designed to keep two pieces of rope intertwined, even under immense pressure. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was used as a protective amulet.'' After gently placing it in her open palm, he closed her fingers around the small object. ''I'm taking a piece of the rigging with me as a keepsake, and I thought I'd get you something to remember the Jolly by as well.'' The air felt warmer as he kept his eyes on their hands, and somehow, this felt like one of the most intimate moments they'd ever shared. That was why, when he continued after a short pause, his voice was barely above a low whisper. ''If you'd want that, of course.''

''I'd love that,'' she replied resolutely, closing her fingers tighter around the knot with a tender smile that accentuated her freckles. The kiss that followed was slow and delicate, lips barely ghosting over each other before eventually finding the perfect angle. He could feel her inching closer, her body gravitating towards his of its own volition. His arm went around her back, lending gravity a helping hand. When she broke away from him it was only barely so, as he could still feel her breath against his. ''You know,'' she murmured, the words arriving at his parted lips way before they reached his ears, ''there are a couple more things I want while we're still here.''

''Oh, I bet you do,'' he whispered with a husky voice and the beginnings of a smirk as he eyed the parts of her body he could still see while she was pressed up against him, already practically melting into him, ''so let's make a few more memories.''

/

The next morning, when Killian, Emma and Tink made their way to a field outside of town, he kept looking back at the Jolly Roger for as long as he possibly could, until even the white of her sails disappeared behind the buildings. And yet, he continued to sneak glances over his shoulder, hoping against all hope that he could just see her one more time. It had been his home for centuries, and even though he'd found a new one, that didn't mean he couldn't feel a bit homesick for the first real home he'd ever known as it disappeared from his life. A lump formed in his throat, and he wondered if perhaps he'd been wrong to think he was ready to bid it farewell.

That is, until he felt the feather-light touch of Emma's fingers on the back of his hand before they entwined with his, and her gentle smile radiated warmth into his heart. That was when he stopped looking back.

The three of them soon arrived at an open clearing near the outskirts of the town. He opened the small pouch with the near transparent bean in it, balancing it with his hook when he turned it upside down in order to drop the object into his hand.

''All we have to do is think of where we want to go.'' He looked up, shifting his gaze between the two women. ''You ready?''

''Do it,'' Emma replied, accompanying Tink's determined nod.

So he threw the bean on the ground, stepping back as a swirling vortex split open the earth before their feet. His heart skipped a beat when Emma grabbed his hook instinctively, her eyes trained on the various colors of the portal. Knowing the magic would only work for a short amount of time, he followed her example by taking Tink's hand. With a collective intake of breath, they jumped.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **A/N:** This is the longest chapter so far, and my favorite to write, so I really hope you guys will like it too!

* * *

The very first thing Emma heard upon arriving in the new realm was a loud beep.

Her eyes flew open as she jumped at the sudden noise, still holding Killian's hand firmly as she pressed up against him. Disorientation had a firm grip on her, making it virtually impossible to figure out what was going on around her.

The beep repeated and mere seconds later, a strange horseless carriage rushed past, just barely avoiding crashing into them. All three of them stood there for a moment as if cemented to the ground, unsure of what to do or where to go. Her gaze darted all over the place, seeing mostly buildings, people and a ton of those awful carriages. Soon, a serenade of their unpleasant noises pierced the air all around them, finally prompting them to run someplace, anyplace, safer. Killian seemed to spot something like that first, and hurried to guide Tink and her in that direction. He'd clearly decided to follow the example of other people who were on foot, and he'd been right in his assumption it would be a lot less dangerous on the slightly heightened pavement everyone else was walking on.

''Isn't this supposed to be the Land _Without_ Magic?'' she panted, widened eyes shifting away from him to follow the carriages that surely couldn't function without something akin to magic.

''It is,'' he answered, looking every bit as bewildered as she did. ''I've no clue what these accursed vessels are made of.''

''Are you both okay?'' Tink inquired, her eyes scanning over the both of them to check for any injuries attained during their first experience with this world.

Emma took a deep breath to calm her nerves after the dangerous encounter. ''I'm fine.''

''So am I,'' Killian added, taking another look at the four-wheeled contraptions rushing by, which Emma was only now noticing had people inside them, who were presumably controlling their course. ''It appears they avoid this part of the road.''

''Good, then let's stay on this path.''

''I doubt your parents will come throw us a welcome party here though,'' Tink countered sarcastically before retaining a more serious approach to the issue at hand. ''Did you learn anything about them from your vision, any clue as to where they could be?''

''Maybe,'' she said, furrowing her brow while racking her brain for anything useful the pixie dust had shown her about Snow and Charming. ''I saw that my mother was standing in front of a bunch of kids, and my father was in a bed in a white room.''

''A lot of kids, huh?'' Emma raised an eyebrow at Killian's comment and followed his gaze to a carriage much like the other ones, except bigger and painted bright yellow. She was just about to ask what he meant, when she saw exactly that; around a dozen children were gathered in front of it, boarding it one by one.

/

A few inquiries and odd looks - apparently the fashion sense that reigned in the Enchanted Forest did not carry over into this realm - pointed them in the direction of what these people called a school; a place of education for children. This was unusual to all three of them, because while there were ways to acquire education in the Enchanted Forest, it wasn't widely available to women, lower class citizens and children.

The school was situated in one of the tallest buildings they'd seen thus far, standing out from all the others through its rusty red bricks and high windows with impeccably white frames. The interior was equally as outlandish, a maze of long corridors with yelling children roaming through them, their artwork plastered on the walls and their clutter scattered on the floor.

The search for one woman in that chaotic mess strongly resembled looking for a needle in a haystack.

The way they went about it was simply by walking around, casting glances into each room through the small windows in the doors. It probably wasn't the most efficient way, but when they'd asked a few kids and adults where to find Snow White, their reactions had ranged from raised eyebrows to confused chuckles, often paired with a not-very-subtle look at their clothing and Killian's hook.

Suddenly, a high-pitched bell rang through the entire school _\- what was it with this world and unannounced loud noises? -_ and they had to halt their search as to not bump into the stream of kids that almost immediately came out of a room. When they'd passed them by, Emma took a look inside.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw a black-haired woman putting away a few books into a bag. She had a clear view of her from here, and there was absolutely no doubt; this was the woman from her vision, and everything suddenly became so real that it terrified her.

The woman - _her mother,_ she reminded herself - swung the bag over her shoulder, only then looking up at her for the first time. Emma was so completely and utterly not prepared for this, and she wanted nothing more than to run, but she knew she shouldn't. She took comfort in knowing Tink and Killian were right behind her, and with a deep breath, stepped through the opening of the door.

''Uh... Hi,'' she stammered, not wanting to look crazy for just standing there and staring at her.

''Hello.'' Snow replied reluctantly, walking over to her with a smile on her lips that indicated kindness and good will, but mostly confusion. Her eyes darted from her to the people behind her a couple of times, visibly puzzled.

''My name is Emma,'' she said in one breath, fighting through her nerves to state it loud and clear. What exactly she expected to happen, she didn't know, but as her gaze kept focusing on the woman's expression, she couldn't even find the slightest sliver of recognition.

''Mary Margaret Blanchard,'' she introduced herself, and stretched out a hand that Emma shook hesitantly. The woman tilted her head, befuddlement still slipping through the cracks of her composed demeanor. ''Can I help you?''

It was like a blow to the stomach. Looking into her eyes now, she saw nothing. Not only did she apparently not know her true identity, she also had no idea that she was currently face to face with her long lost daughter.

''No, I don't think so,'' she muttered through the lump in her throat, retracting her hand as if it had been burned by her touch. ''Sorry for bothering you.''

''No, it's… It's okay.''

Emma didn't reply. Instead, she buried her face in Killian's chest, letting out a shaky breath as he held her in his arms.

The conversation between Tink and Snow afterwards barely came through to her while she fought the tears she refused to shed.

''Actually, maybe there is something you could do for us. Do you know a place with beds in white rooms?''

''Uh, well, you mean the hospital? Just go down the street and take a right at the third intersection, you should be able to see what building it is right away.''

''Thank you.''

''No problem.''

/

Emma was way beyond being affected by strange looks from the people around her while she walked through the corridors of the hospital at a brisk pace. If Killian and Tink were having a hard time keeping up with her, they knew better than to let her know.

She was pissed off. She didn't know at who exactly; at her mother for not recognizing her? At the Evil Queen for casting the dark curse? At the hospital staff for continually asking her what she was doing here? Maybe most of all, she was furious at fate for dangling happiness right in front of her, only to pull it away again.

Her eyes fell on a bed behind glass walls at the far side of the spacious room she eventually arrived in. She practically ran towards it, instinct guiding her, until she had no choice but to stop because of a man in a white coat suddenly blocking her way.

''I'm sorry ma'am, you can't go in there.''

''What, why not?'' she nearly shouted, her gaze darting between him and the man in the bed, who she now unmistakably recognized as her father.

''Because it's outside of visiting hours,'' he informed her, stepping sideways whenever she did so, to prevent her from maneuvering around him. His voice became more stern as he grew annoyed, although he still spoke under the facade of politeness. ''Perhaps you could consider coming back tomorrow between 9am and 5pm.''

The only thing keeping her from straight-up pushing the man out of the way was Killian's hook pulling on her arm. She screwed her eyes shut for a second, regaining her composure just enough to reduce her voice to a volume that could be considered normal.

''But I want to see him,'' she protested, casting anxious glances at the unconscious patient in the bed. ''What's wrong with him?''

''He's in a coma. We found him in this state near the toll bridge a long time ago and haven't been able to identify him since.'' The man raised an eyebrow. ''Why, do you know him?''

''I…'' The feeling of rejection hit her just as hard as it had done earlier that day, and tears sprung to her eyes. ''No, I guess not.'' She bit down on her quivering bottom lip until she tasted blood. Unable to stay there for a moment longer, she turned on her heels, rushing past Tink and Killian with a mumbled ''Let's go.''

Twin streams of tears stained her cheeks as she stormed out of the building and onto the street that was now painted with the colors of the sunset. She looked into the sun, the thing she'd longed for for most of her life, and found herself realizing how little it mattered when the people she'd imagined seeing it with weren't by her side.

She'd found her parents, and lost them, too. Even with all the years of lonely nights wondering why they weren't there for her, she'd never missed them more than she did in this very moment.

/

Despite the hours they'd spent wandering around the town after the unsuccessful encounters with Emma's parents, searching for something, anything, that could possibly help them, they'd come up short.

Killian could see it weighing heavy on her shoulders. She'd been quiet for a long time now, walking a few steps in front of Tink and him. He knew she'd been waiting to meet these people practically her entire life, and to then finally get to do that, only to be met with a blank stare or the revelation of a coma… he couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through right now.

After exchanging a concerned look with Tink, he sped up his pace to close the distance between Emma and him, reaching for her hand in what he hoped would be a reassuring gesture. ''Emma, love, it'll be okay-''

She angrily pulled away, stepping out of his reach. ''Spare me the optimism, just this once,'' she snapped, glaring at him for a second with a frown and a clenched jaw before taking off again, refusing to give him enough time to stop her.

He was just about to call out to her - futile as it may be with her in this state - when Tink stopped him from doing so by putting a hand on his arm, saying something much more effective. ''It's getting dark, we should probably start looking for a place to spend the night.''

He admired her ability to keep her cool under these circumstances, although it was really no surprise; after all, Tink had been dealing with Emma's tendency to run away from things for twenty-eight years now, it was only natural that she'd have it all figured out by now. And indeed, Emma did stop when she heard those rational words. Upset as she was, she knew better than to run off on her own in a realm she only had the slightest bit of knowledge of.

''Aye,'' he agreed, all too eager to get Emma some rest; she was pale and tired and upset, and it was killing him. But he had to remain calm. ''Perhaps there's an inn somewhere around here.''

Sure enough, someone directed them to a place called Granny's. Emma remained silent for the rest of the way there, and Killian needed about a dozen looks from Tink telling him not to say anything, but eventually they arrived; together and in one piece, which could be considered a miracle after the day they'd had.

As they stepped inside, the voices of two arguing women echoed through the narrow hallway as they descended the stairs.

''You're out all night, and now you're going out again.''

''I should have moved to Boston.''

''I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard.''

Though he felt like he was intruding on something personal, Killian cleared his throat. ''Excuse me.'' The older woman turned around, genuine surprise on her features. ''We were told we could rent a room here?''

The younger woman, who'd looked like she was practically on her way out already, stopped as well, and they both stared at him in stunned silence for a solid couple of seconds. ''Really?''

He nodded in affirmation at the older woman's question, trying his best not to raise an amused eyebrow at the beaming smile that appeared on her face at the mere possibility of guests staying at her inn.

''Maybe I should add ''No Halloween costumes in April'' to the ''No shirt, no shoes, no service.'' dress code,'' she joked after taking a quick glance at their clothes, but seeing as all three of them merely reflected looks of confusion back at her, she moved on to business. ''Would you like a forest view or a square view?'' she asked while she briskly walked past them into a room. She returned with a record book that she dropped on the counter, a cloud of dust rising from it. Continuing her frantic movements, she put on the pair of glasses hanging around her neck, opened the book and grabbed a pen, all in what seemed like one movement. ''Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square but, as friends do, I'll wave it.''

''Two square rooms will do. Do you accept doubloons?'' he inquired, as he didn't really have any other form of payment with him. The lady narrowed her eyes at him, clearly wondering what he meant. ''Gold coins,'' he clarified, grabbing a few from one of his numerous pockets and handing them over to her as a sample.

''I suppose that's fine,'' she said, apparently satisfied after examining them with a sceptical look through her thin-rimmed glasses. ''Now, what's the name?''

''Killian Jones, Tinker Bell and Emma Swan.''

The grey-haired woman raised an eyebrow at at least one of their names - which one, he had no clue - but chose not to comment on it.

Someone else, however, did.

''Emma. What a lovely name.'' The air instantly turned cold and every single person in the room spun around to face the man the voice belonged to, the one no one had noticed until he had spoken up.

Rumplestiltskin. He looked different in this world, but there was no doubt that it was him.

Acting on instinct, Killian immediately moved in front of Emma, shielding her from the monster's view. He was starting to see red while he ground his jaw and glared daggers at him.

''Thanks.'' Her voice was casual as she partially moved out from behind him, and his heart skipped a beat when she did so, terrified of exposing her to the danger standing right in front of them. ''Relax'' she hissed in a whisper only audible to him, ''he doesn't remember.''

He supposed that was true; he'd wager the Crocodile would have wanted to kill him on sight otherwise, but now Killian's presence didn't seem to even affect the nauseatingly smug grin on his face.

The old woman, in the meantime, rushed to grab a roll of bills and passed it over to him. ''It's all here.'' He noticed how her demeanor had changed drastically since the man's presence, a nervous expression on her face.

''Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you,'' he replied, taking the currency from her. An unsettling silence filled the room at his pause, and Killian wished with all his heart Emma didn't have such a firm grip on his sleeve, keeping him from blocking her from view again. When the Crocodile continued, his voice was lowered and it wasn't any less uncomfortable than the quiet from moments before. ''You enjoy your stay… Emma.''

With that, he turned around and exited through the door. When it closed behind him, it seemed like everyone in the room released a collective breath they'd been holding for far too long.

''Who's that?'' Tink asked, being the first one to regain her voice and composure.

''Mr. Gold,'' the young woman answered, watching him leave through the curtains before turning back to them, ''he owns this place.''

''The inn?''

''No, the town.'' There was something ominous in the way the old lady said it, although she covered it up right after by abruptly returning to her polite and enthusiastic attitude from before. ''So, how long will you be with us?''

''We're… not sure,'' Killian said after a pause on their part, ''a while, I suppose.''

''Great.'' The woman beamed at them, reaching behind her to grab a key that she then proceeded to hand over to Emma, who was standing closest to her. ''Welcome to Storybrooke.''

/

Killian screwed his eyes shut at the sound of the lock clicking into place. He put his ear to the door, hoping his actions hadn't woken Emma. When he didn't hear any sign of that coming from inside the room, he released a breath and let go of the door handle.

''Where are you going?''

He flinched at Tink's unexpected voice, whirling around to see her standing in front of her own room with her arms crossed. He averted his eyes from her stern gaze, but realized he didn't have any viable excuse in response to her question. Sighing, he moved closer to her to tell the truth in a careful whisper. ''To the Dark One's shop.''

''What, for your revenge?''

''No, it's nothing like that,'' he denied instantly, trying and failing to suppress the hurt her accusation - purposefully or not - had caused. ''I just thought that perhaps there's some sort of magical object there that could help Emma's parents remember who they are.''

''So you were just gonna sneak out in the middle of the night without saying anything? It could be dangerous,'' Tink stated, obviously struggling to keep herself from raising her voice. ''This is not how we agreed to do things, Killian.''

''Aye, I know. I'm sorry.'' She was right, they'd agreed on honesty and teamwork. But he had to do this for Emma, and as much as he didn't want to hide his plan from her, he couldn't muster up the courage to tell her, either. ''It's just, your first reaction was exactly what I feared to hear from Emma.'' He couldn't deal with that kind of doubt right now. Not from her. ''Please don't wake her. Vengeance is truly not what I'm after, and as for danger; like she said herself, he doesn't remember me.'' He looked into Tink's eyes with all the sincerity he had in his. ''I'll be fine.''

''Alright, then go,'' she replied begrudgingly after a short pause. In return, he flashed her a relieved smile before turning around towards the exit. He could still hear her whisper him a wish for good luck as he descended the stairs.

/

It took some trial and error, and he'd never admit it took him hours of navigating through this accursed town, but finally he spotted the bright sign that proudly sported the text '' _Mr. Gold. Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer'', _the one he'd seen earlier that day without knowing Mr. Gold's true identity. He stood in front of the door, at the precipice of a conversation he was, quite honestly, not so sure he was prepared for. He didn't know if he could stand opposite the man who took everything from him, his hand, his love and any chance at happiness in the centuries that followed, and act like none of it ever happened. His hand closed around the door handle as he swallowed hard. He shut his eyes for a second, inhaling deeply once more before pushing down the handle and opening the door.

As it swung open, his eyes quickly scanned over the red-hued interior and the unusual items, but he didn't see what he was actually looking for. The counter was deserted and there was no sound to be heard in the entire shop. And yet, the sign on the front had stated it was open - which was odd, now that he thought about it - the sun hadn't even started to rise in the sky yet. It didn't escape him how ominous this entire situation felt.

''Hello? Anyone in here?'' he called out, surprised by how steady his voice was compared to how he was feeling. Truth be told, he wasn't even certain how to go about this whole ordeal; he couldn't very well ask for magical items from someone who believed to have always lived in the Land Without Magic.

''Killian Jones, wasn't it?'' His gaze snapped to the rustling curtains from behind which Rumplestiltskin emerged. He found himself barely able to nod, reminding himself that the demon only knew his name because he'd overheard his introduction at the inn. He walked to the back of the counter that Killian was standing in front of, supported by a cane. When he stopped there, he looked down for a moment before narrowing his dark eyes at him. ''Funny, I distinctly recall you eventually decided to go by ''Hook''.''

Killian's brows snapped together while his eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. This was impossible. There was no way he could know this information. ''What?'' he managed to breathe out, staring at the demon with eyes that burned with blue fire.

''I remember everything, _dearie_ ,'' he said, emphasizing the last word with a condescending smirk.

''How? Nobody else does.''

''Thanks to you and your lovely lass of course. The Savior. All I needed to regain my memories was to hear her name,'' he explained, the intolerable smile never leaving his features while he did so, ''although I do wonder why you brought her along on your futile quest for revenge.''

''Stay away from her,'' Killian growled, taking a threatening step forward at the mention of Emma.

''Ah, you love her?''

''Yes.'' Perhaps he should have been surprised by the certainty with which he expressed that out loud for the first time, but he wasn't. From the moment he'd met her, there'd never been any doubt that he could love her, and now he did. ''Which is why I'd die before I let you get anywhere near her.''

''I suspected as much. However, I'm afraid something as final as death is not in the cards for you. Good thing I always kept one of these… for a rainy day.'' Killian clenched his jaw and glared at the Dark One in confusion as he picked up a sharp object from the glass vitrine under the counter - the needle of a spinning wheel. ''What I want is for you to suffer for eternity, knowing you can no longer protect the woman you love.''

/

Emma awoke with a start, her eyes flying open as a sharp pain shot through her heart.

''Killian!''

She was already sitting up and her gaze immediately darted to the spot in the bed next to her, only to find it abandoned and cold beneath her shaking fingertips.

''Killian?'' she gasped again through the lump in her throat, hoping against all hope it would help the situation at all.

The door flew open and Tink appeared in the opening, looking at her in bewilderment after no doubt having heard her outcry. ''Emma, what's wrong?''

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, pulling on her boots. That was all she needed, as she'd been sleeping in most of her clothes anyway, save for the blue leather jacket. ''Where is he?''

Her friend seemed caught off-guard, but knew what she'd meant nevertheless. ''Well…'' she stammered, chewing on her bottom lip.

''Tink, you have to tell me,'' Emma urged, getting up and grabbing her by the shoulders, only just resisting shaking them in her desperation. ''Something happened to him, I can feel it.''

Tink gave in after a mere couple of seconds. ''He went to Rumplestiltskin's shop, looking for a way to restore your parent's memories.''

''Do you know where that is?''

''Yeah, I think I do.''

''Then let's go!''

/

Emma threw the door open with as much strength as she could muster up after the sprint they took to get to the Dark One's pawn shop.

Her gaze didn't linger on any of the antiquities, instead focusing immediately on the only person in the room; Killian's motionless body lay sprawled out on the floor. Her breath hitched in her throat as she gasped and tears sprung to her eyes.

''Killian!'' She dropped to the floor next to him, grabbing the lapels of his coat so tight her knuckles turned white in an instant. ''No!''

''Emma, is he-?'' Tink asked from behind her, unable to even finish the sentence.

''Killian!'' She shook him, her cruel mind flashing back to the last time she'd found him like this, that day on the beach. She'd been able to save him then, but only because she had her magic. Here she had nothing. ''Wake up! Killian!''

When no response came, tears streamed down her cheeks, drowning her in her sorrow and washing away the future they could have had. All of it. Everything they still had to do. Everything they still had to say.

''No. Please, no. Don't leave me,'' she wailed, shaking him once more before pressing her forehead against his shoulder blade, muttering broken pleads against his cold skin in between the sobs wracking her body like the sea throwing a ship on a cliff. ''You have to stay. You have to stay.''


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:** This is the penultimate chapter, after this one there's only an epilogue left. It'll take me a couple of weeks to upload that though, life is really busy right now (damn, I was so close to sticking to my schedule for the entire fic, haha)._

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

Emma couldn't tell if the time that had gone by was enough to be measured in hours, or days, or weeks, but it sure as hell felt that way. Killian's body, the upper half of it resting on her folded legs, grew heavier and colder the longer she held him. But letting go was not an option. ''Killian, come back to me,'' she pleaded, placing her forehead against his.

Her shaking hands fumbled with the lapels of his coat, remembering with great sorrow how she'd always used those to bring the two of them closer together. Another sob wracked her entire body, making it tremble with the force of the grief it contained. Nothing about any of this was right. They were supposed to last forever, and forever didn't include goodbyes. It had many other words, one of which she hadn't been able to get over her lips until now. In that moment, she truly understood the torture of regret.

New tears mingled with the dried up stains on her cheeks and darkened strands of his hair as they dropped down. She gripped his coat tighter with one hand and held his head against hers with the other, hanging onto any part of him with every part of her. ''I haven't even told you I love you yet,'' she whispered in a broken voice before pressing a kiss to his temple with trembling lips.

A gust of wind and an all-encompassing ray of light in a grand array of colors bursted from the spot on his skin where she'd poured all her love out onto him. Her eyes shot open and she pulled back, frantically scanning Killian's body and face, her mind unable to form any coherent words.

Suddenly, his body jolted up, and when he gasped for air she followed suit. The next moment she was looking into his bright blue eyes, a color she'd almost given up on ever seeing again. Her remaining tears fell as her whole face lit up. With a shaky hand she cupped his cheek, her fingers cherishing the warmth that had returned to his skin upon his awakening.

A smile spread from the corners of his mouth to the crinkles around his eyes, and she failed to recall a sight as beautiful as this one.

''I love you too.''

Of all the ways he'd said and shown that before, this had to be her favorite.

She surged forward, her lips colliding with his without so much as an attempt to subdue the wide smiles on their faces. He slid off her lap and sat up straighter, his hand reaching up to caress her messy hair. Whether it was one long kiss or many in a row, neither of them could tell. All they knew was that it left them breathless, and when they pulled back, they found they still couldn't break contact. With another sob of relief, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder to breathe in the scent of him once more while he embraced her.

''But… how?'' she asked eventually when she ended the hug to look into his eyes again, finally having recovered the ability to form words. ''You were-''

''Under a sleeping curse,'' he interjected, sparing her the pain of saying anything else. ''I came here looking for something to help find your parents, but apparently Rumplestiltskin regained his memories today.''

She furrowed her brow, taking a moment to process that information. The first thing she felt was anger at Rumplestiltskin for having put them through this, and she grit her teeth thinking of every way to punch the smirk off the evil imp's face. But the next feeling was confusion. She chewed on her bottom lip as she pondered what his intention for this whole ordeal could have possibly been. If this was his way of trying to dispose of Killian, he was doing a really poor job at it. It simply didn't make sense. ''Then where is he?''

Killian opened and shut his mouth, frowning as he caught onto what she was so puzzled by. ''I don't know. You'd think he would have made it harder for the curse to be broken, instead of just leaving me here. Unless…'' he trailed off, his mind mulling over the possibilities, ''he wanted it to be broken.''

''Hey, guys?'' Tink's voice surprised both of them, as they'd been too lost in each other to remember her quiet presence. They turned their heads to look at her, finding her standing by the door. The first rays of dawn illuminated her features as she squinted her eyes and peeked through the shutters of the small window. ''I think the sleeping curse wasn't the only one you broke.''

After exchanging a look, Emma got up and extended her hand to Killian, pulling him up with ease. Whatever consequences a sleeping curse had, it didn't seem to have any immediate ones, she thought, her eyes scanning him while she followed him to the door.

Looking through the shutters, she saw dozens of people going in the same direction. Some stopped to greet someone with a look of recognition and a tight hug, others seemed in a rush to get to their destination. Where exactly that was, she had no clue.

''You think we broke _the_ curse?'' she asked in disbelief. Everything had been so hopeless since they arrived in this world, and now suddenly things seemed to be going their way. It almost felt too good to be true.

Killian pushed down the door handle. ''Only one way to find out. Let's follow them; see where they're all going.'' Emma nodded at the suggestion and walked through the open door.

''Wait, Killian.'' Tink kept him from walking out of the shop by pulling him into a hug. Emma looked back over her shoulder in wonder. She knew the two of them cared about each other, but she hadn't expected such an earnest and affectionate display of that fact. When Tink pulled back, she seemed to realize how unusual this was too, and decided to offset it with a teasing smile and the banter they were more familiar with. ''Is it even possible to get rid of you?''

''Well, what can I say, love?'' he replied, clearly surprised by the gesture but trying his best to hide it. ''I'm a survivor,'' he said with a tilt of his head and a wink when he'd recovered, before casually walking past both of them with the usual swagger in his step. ''And a devilishly handsome one, at that. Wouldn't you agree, Swan?''

She scoffed, but it was buried beneath a smile. Clearly, a simple sleeping curse wasn't enough to deflate his ego. And although she'd never admit it, she found she was glad for it.

They followed the people of the town to one of the biggest buildings they'd seen since they had arrived in this realm. It had huge white pillars, the walls were a desaturated yellow and the front sported a sign saying _''Storybrooke Town Hall''_. Perhaps this was their place of gathering, seeing as everyone seemed to be going here for answers. The crowd was a chaotic mess of panic, happiness and confusion. Emma was trying - and failing - to make sense of the whole situation, until suddenly something caught her eye.

Her parents. There they were, surrounded by a ton of people, holding hands like it was the most normal thing in the world. Charming was still wearing the white robe he'd been wearing in the hospital, only with a jacket thrown over it, indicating he'd just woken up from the coma he'd been in. Snow was the one doing most of the talking, although Emma couldn't hear her above the rest of the crowd from this far away. As they stood there in the morning light, it felt surreal to her. Was the moment she'd dreamed of for practically her entire life really about to happen?

She felt the cold metal of Killian's rings as his hand squeezed hers. He'd followed her gaze, and nodded at her with an encouraging smile. ''You can do this.''

With a deep breath, she took a step forward, but turned around with wide eyes when she felt his hand slide away. His expression hadn't changed, however. He and Tink were both wearing a soft smile as they looked between her and her parents in the distance. They wanted her to do this alone, and she had to admit that maybe they were right.

So she forced herself to walk closer to Snow and Charming, picking up parts of the conversation as she did so.

''The curse… It's broken?'' A short bearded man asked the question that had been on everyone's mind.

That was when she heard her father speak for the first time. ''It would appear so.''

She stopped, almost afraid to interrupt the conversation before she'd had time to build up enough courage.

''So, what do we do now?'' asked Ruby, the dark-haired woman who worked at the inn, voicing the confusion of many others.

''Now?'' Snow replied, her back turned to Emma but a smile ever present in her voice as she looked at Charming. ''Now I find my daughter.''

''You remember,'' Emma breathed out, relief settling in now that the revelation had been confirmed. Her mother turned around in a heartbeat, her jaw dropping at the sight of her. Her father, who was rendered just as speechless, looked between the two of them, and seemed to come to the realization of who she was pretty quickly, despite not having seen her before.

The last time she'd met Snow, the utter lack of recognition in the green eyes that so closely matched her own had destroyed her. Now, the awe she saw in them overwhelmed her, and she could do little more than stare back at her.

A disbelieving smile tugged at Snow's lips as she stepped forward, truly looking at her long-lost daughter for the first time. Finally, she cupped Emma's face, tears forming in her eyes before pulling her into a hug.

''You found us,'' she said with a choked up voice. Emma closed her eyes for a moment and let out a shaky breath, hesitantly putting her arms around the woman. She felt a hand cradling the back of her head as her father joined in the embrace. The warmth that rushed through her body when she finally found herself in the arms of her parents was immeasurable. She smiled against Snow's soft coat while fighting back tears. ''Well, you didn't make it easy.''

''How did you find us?'' Charming asked as they broke up the tight hug after what felt like several blissful minutes. ''And how did you break the curse?''

''That's... a long story,'' she said with a short chuckle. Snow was still holding her hands, and it was a bit overwhelming, but her joy overshadowed the desire to pull away from it. Her eyes searched for Killian and Tink in the crowd, and spotted them as they were making their way over. She returned their smiles effortlessly. ''But I couldn't have done it without them.''

''Oh, I remember they were with you when you came to the school,'' her mother recalled.

''Yeah, and I don't think we were introduced properly then,'' Tink said, extending her hand to her. ''Tinker bell.''

''She's my best friend,'' Emma clarified as her mother figures shook hands. A grateful smile tugged at her lips as the thought of everything that had occurred to make this meeting possible. ''She's been looking after me since the day I landed in Neverland.''

While her parents introduced themselves to Tink, Emma looked back at Killian, who was standing a bit further away. She raised an eyebrow at this oddly non-assertive behavior of his, and strolled over to him with a teasing grin. ''Scared?''

''I've faced countless treacherous storms and battled many a dangerous creature in the past couple of centuries, Swan. What makes you think I can't handle meeting Snow White and Prince Charming?''

''Hmm, nothing in particular.'' She shrugged, deciding for his sake not to mention how endearing she found it that he was nervous about meeting her parents. When she saw they were finished introducing themselves to Tink and were now looking at the two of them expectantly, she beamed up at him. ''Okay fearsome pirate, your turn,'' she whispered, giving him a gentle push.

He shot her a quick look over his shoulder and she had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep her smile from growing even further. ''Killian Jones,'' he introduced himself, using nothing more than his real name. ''Pleasure to meet you.''

''He's…'' Emma started, but she paused when she realized it would be a quite a bit harder to describe what he was to her than with Tink. Killian glanced sideways at her, managing without words to guide her past her hesitation. ''How I got here and how I broke the curse.''

''Are you saying…?'' Her mother looked at her expectantly, but Emma really wasn't sure what she was suggesting, so she merely answered with a confused frown. ''True Love's Kiss,'' Snow said, completing the sentence herself instead. ''It can break any curse.''

True Love. Emma knew of the concept - Tink was quite a fan of it, after all - but she hadn't given it much thought in the aftermath of the kiss that had woken Killian. Her chest tightened and she turned her head to look up at him. She was met with a gentle smile, and something told her he'd realized it far sooner than she had.

''But… that means you were under a curse,'' Charming stated.

''Aye, a sleeping curse.''

''Who did that to you?'' Snow asked, a concerned frown settling on her features.

''Rumplestiltskin,'' Killian replied, visibly resisting the urge to grind his teeth, ''and we've no clue where he is now.''

''I can track him.''

They all whirled around to look at Ruby, and Emma furrowed her brow at the odd suggestion. ''What, how?''

''I'm part wolf,'' she clarified, as if it was no big deal. She didn't even give Emma a chance to wrap her head around that revelation before moving on. ''I just need some object of his to get his smell.''

''Alright, then let's go to his shop,'' Charming suggested.

Apparently everyone was just rolling with this. Not even Killian supported her in her confusion, instead being rather amused by it, as indicated by the smirk and waggling eyebrow that accompanied his sideways glances at her.

''I'll drive,'' a man with curly brown hair chipped in. Emma turned to him, her puzzled expression still firmly in place. He let out a soft chuckle. ''Name's Graham, I'm the sheriff of Storybrooke. Gold harmed someone, so he broke the law. When we find him, I can arrest him.''

''Okay, sounds like a plan,'' she replied, moving past the overwhelming moment by finding the anger she felt towards the man who'd hurt Killian so much.

Though in truth, Killian himself personally seemed more concerned about something else entirely in this moment. ''Please tell me this doesn't mean we have to get into one of those accursed land vessels.''

Unfortunately, that was exactly what it meant. So all seven of them stuffed themselves into the horseless carriage - a car, Snow explained, and apparently it wasn't usually supposed to transport this many people at once (not that that was any comfort to them during that particularly uncomfortable ride). They arrived at the Dark One's shop in a matter of minutes though, which she had to admit was impressive. But that wasn't the end of it just yet; after Ruby had picked up his scent from an ancient book he owned, they still had to track him. The trace led them into the woods on the outskirts of town, where the road was far less smooth than in Storybrooke. It soon felt like the bumps had successfully rattled every bone and organ in her body. But Killian, who she was pressed up against on one side in the cramped contraption, took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. It helped, though she could see he was feeling just as miserable as she was.

''There!'' Ruby finally exclaimed, pointing at a figure in the distance. Emma scooted over as best she could in order to look out the window on the side of the car. As they got closer, it became clear that it was indeed Rumplestiltskin, walking through the forest with his cane in one hand and a bottle of glowing purple substance in the other.

''What the bloody hell is he doing out here?'' Killian muttered, his gaze following the Dark One as he remained visible while walking up a hill in the distance.

''I don't know, but he seems in quite a rush,'' Charming replied from the seat on the other side of the vehicle, ''I have a bad feeling about this. That man always has some kind of trick up his sleeve.''

''It's impossible to follow him up there with a car,'' Graham said, frowning when Rumplestiltskin disappeared behind the thick greenery. Far too abruptly for Emma's liking, the vehicle came to a halt with a screeching sound. ''We'll have to go on foot.''

Personally, she had no objections to that, and judging by the relieved expressions on their faces, neither did Tink and Killian. Charming opened the door on his side while Snow reached over to pull a lever that made the door open on the other side. All seven of them exited the car and started running up the hill, Ruby leading the way. They caught sight of Rumpelstiltskin again just as he arrived at an old wishing well.

Emma heard the sound of gun cocking next to her, and looked to her left to see Graham point it at the Dark One. ''Stop, you're under arrest.''

The tension was palpable as everyone stopped, having surrounded the man. But a sickening grin split open his face. ''Perhaps you'd like to try that again when I have my magic back, _dearie_ ,'' he taunted, pulling the cork off the bottle he was holding. The glittery purple liquid it contained couldn't possibly be anything but magic.

So that was his plan; to bring magic back to Storybrooke. Emma realized that if he were to accomplish that, there'd be no telling what he could or would do once he regained the power of the Dark One. Every single one of them could be in grave danger, standing at such a close range to the demon that was about to be unleashed.

''Don't do this, Rumplestiltskin.'' Charming tried to slowly approach him, but he stopped when their adversary held the bottle above the well behind him, making it clear that all he had to do to bring magic back was drop it.

''I could shoot you right now,'' Graham threatened, his gun still aimed at Rumplestiltskin.

''Ah, but you won't.'' The gleeful tone of his voice sent shivers down Emma's spine, and she exchanged a concerned look with Killian. She could see he felt just as powerless as her in that moment, where they couldn't do anything to stop the Dark One. ''You heroes aren't built to kill. You don't have it in you,'' he continued with a sneer, before quickly regaining his smirk. ''Now, I, on the other hand...''

Time seemed to slow down as the bottle slipped from between his fingers.

''No!'' Emma shouted, sprinting forward despite knowing she'd be too late anyway.

However, the same did not go for Tink. She'd been standing closest to the well since they'd arrived there, and had apparently been inching closer without anyone noticing. She made a desperate jump, catching the bottle in one hand while only barely keeping herself from falling over the ledge with the other. Emma's heart stuck in her throat as she saw the danger her friend was in.

''You-'' Rumplestiltskin growled as he whirled around, attempting to take the vial of magic out of her hand. But Killian had already closed the distance between them and used his hand and hook to pull him back by force.

''You're not getting anywhere near her, Crocodile,'' he snarled.

Seeing that he had it under control, Emma rushed over to her friend, helping her escape the precarious position she'd gotten herself into. Once she was safely back on her feet instead of hanging over the seemingly bottomless hole, Emma wrapped her arms around her. ''Don't ever do that again.''

Tink let out a shaky breath of relief, sighing into the embrace. ''What, save everyone's life?'' Emma couldn't see it but she knew there was smug grin on Tink's face. ''I make no promises.''

Emma let out a chuckle as she pulled back, and together with Ruby and her parents, they looked on while Graham cuffed Rumplestiltskin and put him in the car.

When Killian made his way over to them, she felt her heart soar. His nemesis was within reach and he could easily exact the revenge he'd been yearning for for centuries, and yet here he was, strolling over to her with oceans of love in his eyes. She took his hand with an adoring smile that reflected his, but before they could perform a serious bout of PDA, her father noisily cleared his throat.

''So,'' her mother said cheerfully, a gentle grin on her features, ''now that that's out of the way… What do you guys think about lunch at Granny's? I believe we have about twenty-eight years to catch up on.''


End file.
